Chapter three: The Results
Harry woke up the next morning to the sound of an owl banging against his window. He got out of bed and walked grumpily to his window to let it in. The brown owl flew into his room and settled down onto his bed with a magazine rolled up in his beak. Harry noticed it was The Quibbler.
"The subscription must start this morning," Harry said to himself. He relieved the owl from the small burden and slipped 2 silver sickles into it's pouch attached to its leg. When Harry sat down on his bed to flip through the magazine he heard paper crumble underneath him. He stood up to see what it was. It was two Hogwarts letters. Harry immediately threw down the Quibbler and picked up the first envelope. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter:
The new school term will start later this year due to some minor conflicts. The Hogwarts Express is scheduled to leave at 11:00 am on September 30th.
Enclosed is the list of necessary books to be purchased for your sixth year at Hogwarts.
Also included are your O.W.L. scores.
All the Best, Professor M. McGonagall
Harry quickly flipped to his O.W.L. letter behind the note from Professor McGonagall. His heart was beating fast as he read through the results:
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Herbology: A
Transfiguration: E
History of Magic: P
Divination: P
Charms: O
Potions: E
Harry stopped at potions. His heart sunk heavily. He read the scores over again to make sure he got them correct. An "E" in Potions? He needed an "O" in order to get into Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class. He threw his letter down in frustration. But a third sheet fell from behind his scores. Harry picked up the last piece of parchment and read through it.
Dear Mr. Potter:
Here are the N.E.W.T. classes that you are eligible to take:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Charms
Transfiguration
Herbology
Potions
I will personally be meeting with each 6th year to discuss their schedule for the year.
Sincerely, Prof. M. McGonagall
"Wait a second," Harry murmured. "I am eligible for Potions, but I got an "E" on the exam. How can that happen?" Harry thought for a moment and he thought of it as his heart sunk. "Snape must've gotten the Defense Against the Dark Arts job this year," Harry groaned. "That's just what I need. Snape to be my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in a N.E.W.T. class."
Harry set down his course letters and looked down at the other Hogwarts letter. Wondering what it could be, Harry opened it up and let out a soft scream.
"Quidditch Captain?" Harry said hoarsely. "Quidditch Captain?"
Harry read through the letter to make sure he was not misreading it.
"But -- Ron. Ron is much better at tactics than I am. Why wasn't he picked?" Harry asked himself. But his disbelief melted away immediately. His shock became sheer excitement. He began to pack his trunk rather messily after he had taken a few deep breaths from the shock and excitement. He also stuck his wand in his side pocket. He packed all his candy, his mentala from Hermione and all of his other gifts into his trunk. When he reached for the picture frame Lupin had given to him last night he stopped. His excitement turned to guilt once more. But then he thought of what Dobby had said to him.
Sirius did not die for me to be down all the time. He died for me to live my life as if nothing had changed, Harry thought.
After he got all his things packed and he got dressed, he went downstairs for breakfast with the Dursely's. He walked into the kitchen and sat down with his relatives.
"Good morning," Harry said quite cheerfully, considering the mood he had been in all summer. He never thought he had been this hungry before. No one spoke. They ate their breakfast in silence. He ate everything on his plate, while his relatives looked on in amazement.
As soon as he was done with breakfast, he bounded up stairs to look through the Quibbler. There were some interesting articles in the Quibbler. Interesting, meaning so stupid they were funny. There was an article in there about how Rita Skeeter was considering being a reporter for the Quibbler. At this point, Harry laughed out loud. If Rita Skeeter was so disgusted at putting one of her articles in the Quibbler last year, thought Harry, then she most certainly would never become a reporter for the Quibbler.
Once Harry was finished reading the magazine, he got up and decided to write a letter to Ron and Hermione, assuming that they were both at Headquarters.
Dear Ron and Hermione,
I'm assuming both of you are together right now so that is why I am writing this letter to both of you.
I just got my O.W.L. scores back. They weren't that bad. I got an "O" in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. Then an "E" on Transfiguration and Potions and an "A" on Herbology. I don't think you two need me to say what I got on Divination and History of Magic. See you soon!
Harry
Harry purposely left out the fact that he was picked for Quidditch Captain this year. He didn't want to make Ron feel bad, even though Ron was a Prefect. As he sealed the letter, he got up and prodded Hedwig away.
"I need you to get this to Ron and Hermione. They are probably at Headquarters, you know where that is. Safe journey," he told her. She gave him a quick nip on the finger to show she understood and spread her beautiful wings and flew out of the opened window.
After he watched Hedwig fly away, Harry fell onto his bed and decided to take a nap. He woke up a while later noticing it was dark already.
Harry looked at his clock.
7:30 pm
Harry sighed and decided to go downstairs for dinner. But he heard harsh voices in the kitchen.
"Where is he mudblood?" asked a drawling voice that Harry sickeningly recognized.
"I-I d-don't know," he heard his Aunt Petunia answer.
"She's lying," said a cold, high pitched voice.
"Crucio!"
Harry's Aunt Petunia's screams filled the whole house. His stomach gave an almightly lurch as he felt like he was going to vomit.
"Now let me ask you on-more-time you filthy mudblood. Where is Harry Potter?" asked the cold voice maliciously.
Harry woke up the next morning to the sound of an owl banging against his window. He got out of bed and walked grumpily to his window to let it in. The brown owl flew into his room and settled down onto his bed with a magazine rolled up in his beak. Harry noticed it was The Quibbler.
"The subscription must start this morning," Harry said to himself. He relieved the owl from the small burden and slipped 2 silver sickles into it's pouch attached to its leg. When Harry sat down on his bed to flip through the magazine he heard paper crumble underneath him. He stood up to see what it was. It was two Hogwarts letters. Harry immediately threw down the Quibbler and picked up the first envelope. It read:
Dear Mr. Potter:
The new school term will start later this year due to some minor conflicts. The Hogwarts Express is scheduled to leave at 11:00 am on September 30th.
Enclosed is the list of necessary books to be purchased for your sixth year at Hogwarts.
Also included are your O.W.L. scores.
All the Best, Professor M. McGonagall
Harry quickly flipped to his O.W.L. letter behind the note from Professor McGonagall. His heart was beating fast as he read through the results:
Defense Against the Dark Arts: O
Herbology: A
Transfiguration: E
History of Magic: P
Divination: P
Charms: O
Potions: E
Harry stopped at potions. His heart sunk heavily. He read the scores over again to make sure he got them correct. An "E" in Potions? He needed an "O" in order to get into Snape's N.E.W.T. Potions class. He threw his letter down in frustration. But a third sheet fell from behind his scores. Harry picked up the last piece of parchment and read through it.
Dear Mr. Potter:
Here are the N.E.W.T. classes that you are eligible to take:
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Charms
Transfiguration
Herbology
Potions
I will personally be meeting with each 6th year to discuss their schedule for the year.
Sincerely, Prof. M. McGonagall
"Wait a second," Harry murmured. "I am eligible for Potions, but I got an "E" on the exam. How can that happen?" Harry thought for a moment and he thought of it as his heart sunk. "Snape must've gotten the Defense Against the Dark Arts job this year," Harry groaned. "That's just what I need. Snape to be my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in a N.E.W.T. class."
Harry set down his course letters and looked down at the other Hogwarts letter. Wondering what it could be, Harry opened it up and let out a soft scream.
"Quidditch Captain?" Harry said hoarsely. "Quidditch Captain?"
Harry read through the letter to make sure he was not misreading it.
"But -- Ron. Ron is much better at tactics than I am. Why wasn't he picked?" Harry asked himself. But his disbelief melted away immediately. His shock became sheer excitement. He began to pack his trunk rather messily after he had taken a few deep breaths from the shock and excitement. He also stuck his wand in his side pocket. He packed all his candy, his mentala from Hermione and all of his other gifts into his trunk. When he reached for the picture frame Lupin had given to him last night he stopped. His excitement turned to guilt once more. But then he thought of what Dobby had said to him.
Sirius did not die for me to be down all the time. He died for me to live my life as if nothing had changed, Harry thought.
After he got all his things packed and he got dressed, he went downstairs for breakfast with the Dursely's. He walked into the kitchen and sat down with his relatives.
"Good morning," Harry said quite cheerfully, considering the mood he had been in all summer. He never thought he had been this hungry before. No one spoke. They ate their breakfast in silence. He ate everything on his plate, while his relatives looked on in amazement.
As soon as he was done with breakfast, he bounded up stairs to look through the Quibbler. There were some interesting articles in the Quibbler. Interesting, meaning so stupid they were funny. There was an article in there about how Rita Skeeter was considering being a reporter for the Quibbler. At this point, Harry laughed out loud. If Rita Skeeter was so disgusted at putting one of her articles in the Quibbler last year, thought Harry, then she most certainly would never become a reporter for the Quibbler.
Once Harry was finished reading the magazine, he got up and decided to write a letter to Ron and Hermione, assuming that they were both at Headquarters.
Dear Ron and Hermione,
I'm assuming both of you are together right now so that is why I am writing this letter to both of you.
I just got my O.W.L. scores back. They weren't that bad. I got an "O" in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. Then an "E" on Transfiguration and Potions and an "A" on Herbology. I don't think you two need me to say what I got on Divination and History of Magic. See you soon!
Harry
Harry purposely left out the fact that he was picked for Quidditch Captain this year. He didn't want to make Ron feel bad, even though Ron was a Prefect. As he sealed the letter, he got up and prodded Hedwig away.
"I need you to get this to Ron and Hermione. They are probably at Headquarters, you know where that is. Safe journey," he told her. She gave him a quick nip on the finger to show she understood and spread her beautiful wings and flew out of the opened window.
After he watched Hedwig fly away, Harry fell onto his bed and decided to take a nap. He woke up a while later noticing it was dark already.
Harry looked at his clock.
7:30 pm
Harry sighed and decided to go downstairs for dinner. But he heard harsh voices in the kitchen.
"Where is he mudblood?" asked a drawling voice that Harry sickeningly recognized.
"I-I d-don't know," he heard his Aunt Petunia answer.
"She's lying," said a cold, high pitched voice.
"Crucio!"
Harry's Aunt Petunia's screams filled the whole house. His stomach gave an almightly lurch as he felt like he was going to vomit.
"Now let me ask you on-more-time you filthy mudblood. Where is Harry Potter?" asked the cold voice maliciously.