Disclaimer:
British? Yes
Female? No
Mind Bogglingly Rich? I wish!
Probability of being JK Rowling? 1%
I don't own anything but the plot
Chapter 3: The Brand New OWL
The 30th of July dawned bright and loud. The knocking of a beak woke Harry from his slumber. Groggily looking for the source of the noise before his eyes fell upon the window.
A handsome tawny owl sat upon the window sill. Its dark brown eyes boring holes into the young Potter. Harry hesitantly opened the window and allowed the owl to fly through. Looking at the neat script his mind flashed to the conversation he had with the goblins about his results and what they meant for the rest of his life.
Slitting the thick parchment envelope open he extracted the letters out.
Mr Potter,
We, at the ministry have decided that the OWL and NEWT systems have led to complacency in the students and a drop in the quality of ministry workers. As such we have decided to implement an updated system in the marking and grading of the OWL exams for this year and the NEWTs for two years time. The number of fail grades has also increased with time, as a result we have implemented a negative deduction system that will detract from the OWLs and NEWTs you will recieve in the future. He hope this will encourage you students to place more effort into your studies. As this is the first year we have decided to lessen the deduction to only the lowest fail grade. We hope you agree with the changes implemented and will bear with us for discrepancies as we implement the system.
The new grading system takes both the grade awarded as a part of the number of OWLs awarded. By doing so we believe that those trying to pass the system with only Acceptable grades will obtain jobs that are more suited to them.
The following grades are seen as Fail Grades:
Poor - 0 OWLs awarded (will be -1 OWLs awarded)
Dreadful - 0 OWLs awarded (will be -2 OWL awarded)
Troll - -0.5 OWLs awarded (will be -3 OWLs awarded)
Pass Grades
Acceptable - 1 OWL awarded (no change)
Exceeds Expectations - 2 OWLs awarded (no change)
Outstanding - 3 OWLs awarded (no change)
Hope you have attained the grades you wanted.
Madam Sarah Crowe
Head of Magical Education and Examinations
Reading the letter left Harry very ssurprised at the new changes brought in by the ministry of magic that actually made sense. After his moment of musing Harry turned to the second letter in his post-exam pack, which was much shorter.
Mr Potter,
After careful cconsideration and consulting the examiners involved we have decided to award you with special consideration regarding your History of Magic (Theory) and Astronomy (Practical) examinations.
Hope you are now doing well and receive the results you deserve.
Louis Crowe
Deputy Head of Magical Education and Examinations
SSeeing this Harry breathed out a sigh of relief, thinking back to those exams that had gone so terribly, fainting in the History exam and the fact that Hagrid was forced to flee from the grounds and Professor McGonagall was downed trying to stop the ministry officials taking him during the Astronomy exam led to it being abandoned.
Finally he reached into the envelope and retrieved the final letter.
Mr Harry James Potter has achieved the following pertaining to his Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations.
Astronomy(*) - E - 2 OWLs awarded
Care about f Magical Creatures - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Charms - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Defence Against the Dark Arts - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Divination - A - 1 OWL awarded
Herbology - E - 2 OWLs awarded
History of Magic(*) - E - 2 OWLs awarded
Potions - E - 2 OWLs awarded
Transfiguration - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Total OWLs awarded: 21
Harry sat back in his bed, and began breathing again. He had done it, he passed all his exams not even dropped below and E (in the exams that mattered anyway). Suddenly it hit him. He now fully qualified for emancipation.
**Flashback**
"There are 3 options in front of you Mr. Potter, first you can remain unemancipated and will have restricted access to your account until you turn 17, second you can become emancipated now, however this can be over turned easily and we can be sure the headmaster will overturn this decision as soon as it enters the courts. Finally, you can wait until you receive your OWL results in 3 weeks time. Once this is received your emancipation will be unquestionable, providing you do not fail any examination. Doing so will mean the emancipation board will see you are able to look after yourself and there is no reason for you to not be legally emancipated." Griphook stated from the legal guide Gringotts managed to obtain.
"There must be some other catch to that last one" the young Potter stated after repeating the text in his mind. "Indeed you are a sharp one Mr. Potter, should you fail any exam you will be barred from becoming emancipated completely." The aged goblin replied.
"Damn there's always something isn't there," he cursed under his breath. "Fine, we'll wait for the results to come, if I've failed then... I guess there's nothing doing." He declared before standing and leaving the meeting room in a flash of light.
**End Flashback**
That's the emancipation in the bag then, Harry though quietly to himself sometime after he processed it in his head. Before retrieving his well used portkey, possibly for the last time in a while, and once more disappearing in a swirl of light.
The morning in Crawley dawned bright as the birds began their chirping. Hermione Granger sat at her table conversing with her parents when a lot tapping at the kitchen window drew the attention of all those present.
Hermione let out a shriek of delight as she realised what the owl signified.
The first letter from the department was the changes to the OWL system, that everyone received, she also received a second letter for special consideration, though only for Astronomy.
Picking up the third and final letter she read.
Ms Hermione Jean Granger has achieved the following pertaining to her Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations.
Ancient Runes - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Arithmancy - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Astronomy(*) - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Care of Magical Creatures - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Charms - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Defence Against the Dark Arts - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Herbology - O - 3 OWLs awarded
History of Magic - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Potions - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Transfiguration - O - 3 OWLs awarded
Total OWLs awarded: 30
"30," Hermione breathed as she finished the long letter detailing her accomplishments before squealing in delight and hugging her parents.
Ronald Weasley bolted upright to his mother's unimitiable screech as she called him down for breakfast. Ron complied with his overbearing mother and trooped down from his room at the top of the Burrow.
Sitting in the kitchen of the Burrow was always an affair with the stacks of food added with the monstrous appetite of one Ronald Weasley. This morning started no different than any other, Ron stumbled through the door, half asleep and began loading his plate, once there was no room physically available, he would begin shoving the food in his mouth and swallowing whole, much like a snake, before helping himself to seconds and then thirds. Halfway through his fourth helpings, a tap on the window sounded loud and clear as the window was slid open and the owl flew through. Ron stared dumbfounded, he couldn't tell from whom the owl came. So he picked the envelope bfrom the owl and it flew from the scene of total culinary devastation. Ron only received two pieces of parchment, one detailing the changes to the OWL system and his results card.
Mr Ronald Bilius Weasley has achieved the following pertaining to his Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations.
Astronomy - A - 1 OWL awarded
Care about Magical Creatures - A - 1 OWL awarded
Charms - E - 2 OWLs awarded
Defence Against the Dark Arts - A - 1 OWL awarded
Divination - D - 1 OWL awarded
Herbology - A - 2 OWLs awarded
History of Magic - T - -0.5 OWLs awarded
Potions - A - 1 OWL awarded
Transfiguration - A - 1 OWL awarded
Total OWLs awarded: 9.5
Ron sighed in relief. Harry can't have done much better than me. He probably got a T in Potions as well as History. He mused to himself before laying the sheets of parchment on the table and hefting his broom over his shoulder, and heading into the orchard for some pickup quiddich. Oh it gonna be a... Wonderful day! he whistled as he sauntered off forgetting any problems that may have been associated with his complete lack of achievement.
"Well then Mr. Potter, it seems everything is in order. Congratulations." The feral grin once more ruled over the face of the aged goblin. Harry Potter stood as a man in the wizarding world for the first time, and it felt good. "Finally, we must award you your house ring, making you Lord Potter in the wizarding world. Because of your... Delicate situation concerning love potions, we have seen fit to embed a detection charm that will show you what foods have the potion you have been taking and, if enough is taken show you to whom the potion is keyed. We hope you don't see this as we goblins taking liberties, Lord Potter" Griphook trailed off as he thought he had a beheading heading in his direction. "Good Lord no! Anything that can help me is appreciated my friend-" Harry stopped abruptly at the stunned look on Griphook's face, "What?"
"You just called me friend..." Griphook replied cautiously. "No wizard has done that in centuries, your parents were more courteous, yes. But to be called friend is almost unprecedented, Lord-"
"Harry," the Potter interrupted smoothly. "And is there something like that portkey you gave me to get here, but can work for many locations?"
"Why yes Lor- Harry," Griphook replied with a stutter, "but it will be costing you now, since you are an adult, those rules of our society now apply. It will cost 50 galleons to buy, and another 30 to attach it to your ring."
Pulling out the money, Harry handed it to his account manager, before receiving his ring, it was a simple ring, with a lone ruby ensconced in the band of gold, with the word Potter stamped on the bottom of the ring, looking much like the type on the back of his uniform. Harry then asked how to use the two magiks embedded in the ring.
"To shift, as we goblins call it, you must rub the ruby, while thinking or saying a name or location, and the ring will shift itself and you to said person or location. To activate the potion detector, you need only rub the lower half of the ring for it to show you what potions are present in the dishes you are being served."
With that, Harry stood and bade the goblin a fond goodbye, before rubbing the top if the, now invisible, Potter family ring and appeared back at Privet Drive. Oh it gonna be a... Wonderful day! He thought merrily as he looked around his once dingy room and envisioned the life he was going to have, not even two days from now.
A/N: Well, back again eh? And there are still several chapters to write (shields to collect) ((5 house points to anyone who can tell me where that's from)) so chapter 3 after so long! I'm afraid exams stopped me from writing for far too long and I'm not even at home so I can't use my computer! :'( but I'll make do for now (you may notice mistakes throughout this chapter). You may be thinking I made Harry get marks that were too high in his OWLs but let's face it he wasn't that bad at magic. Speaking of which, what did you think of the new OWL system I devised? Good? Bad? Non-sensical? Hermione is... Well Hermione there's no way she didn't get all Os in the OWLs. You may think I'm being very harsh on Ron, but let's face it, the guy was a slouch and wouldn't been able to do those exams on his own! So emancipation has been taken and the stage is almost set to return to Hogwarts for their 6th year. One more chapter should see us through. Anyway, next time the Dursley will be dealt with and straightened out, the Harry will be making a planned (crazy I know right) visit, and the trio will meet for school supplies as well as school surprises and Harry will have done some... work at the ministry... That's all I'm saying. Stay tuned!
Edit 1: Many thanks to BMS for mentioning Hermione's missing herbology grade, now amended
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