The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

Chapter 341 OWLs Exam
This year's final exams were originally scheduled for the first day of June, but Umbridge had been in the school - in the words of Professor Kettleburn - sniffing and digging, disrupting all teaching plans to varying degrees, so the professors unanimously agreed to postpone the exams to the end of June. This means that when other students were still walking in the hot sun, the fifth and seventh year students were the first to welcome their OWLs and NEWTs.

Anthony received the exact exam schedule one morning. The owls that brought letters from the Examinations Board lurked among the owls that delivered parcels and morning papers, but their simultaneous presence in front of all the professors attracted some attention, especially when one tried to drink from Dumbledore's goblet and fell onto Professor McGonagall's plate instead.

The first exam for OWLs was scheduled on Monday morning, which was Charms Theory; the Muggle Studies exam was held from 2pm to 5:30pm on Friday afternoon.

For Anthony, this arrangement was not perfect, because students were more likely to be sleepy in the afternoon exams, and their frustration and bad temper accumulated throughout the week's exams would be brought to the Muggle Studies exam room. However, he was satisfied that the subject on Friday morning was ancient runes instead of the history of magic they had originally predicted. If students were asked to answer questions about the goblin rebellion in the 18th century before discussing the Industrial Revolution, their answers might become unnecessarily interesting.

"Charms is the first subject every year." Professor Flitwick put the exam schedule aside, looking satisfied. "I like it this way. Are you free to supervise the Charms Theory exam, Pomona?"

"What day is that?" said Professor Sprout. "Oh, no, it's the day when the Devil's Snares bloom. I need to go there and make sure they don't strangle each other."

Lockhart said: "If--"

Professor McGonagall said, "I'll go, Filius. Are you available to supervise Transfiguration, Pomona?" She seemed unaware that she had interrupted Lockhart.

"No problem," said Professor Sprout. "As for Herbology—"

Lockhart said: "I think -"

"Filius?" Professor Sprout asked with a smile.

"At my service, Pomona, at my service," said Professor Flitwick cheerfully.

Even after breakfast, the professors were still discussing the invigilators. In the end, among the remaining compulsory subjects, Potions would be invigilated by Professor Kettleburn, Astronomy by Professor Burbaggi, History of Magic by Professor Sinistra, and Defense Against the Dark Arts was assigned to Anthony according to Lockhart's suggestion.

"After all, after reading so many of my books, he has some basic understanding of how to deal with dark creatures!" Lockhart put his arm around Anthony with a smile on his face and walked through the students (who looked at the professors curiously while making way). "In fact, I'm surprised that some of you still don't know how to correctly break the curse of vampires! You can find relevant content in "Traveling with Vampires..."

For reasons that were obvious to everyone - and very, very good - neither Snape nor Lockhart were assigned to invigilate any exams.

Lockhart eventually admitted that if he showed up at the exam, his dazzling charm might indeed distract students from the exam. Snape even seemed to be proud of being exempted from the invigilation. He only sneered sarcastically when he heard Professor McGonagall agree to let Anthony invigilate the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, but considering that he often did so, the professors didn't pay much attention to him. Anthony was very reasonable and thought that if the result of the negotiation was to let him invigilate the Potions exam, Snape would not be very happy.

……

The examiners visited Hogwarts the day before the Charms exam.

They arrived at dinner time. Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall greeted them and introduced the layout of the hall, which would be used as an examination hall, while chatting about other topics.

Anthony, like the other professors, still sat on the staff table, chewing lamb chops, drinking pumpkin juice, and pretending that he did not notice Dumbledore's voice in the hall, or Professor McGonagall's sudden departure, or that her hair was tied up tighter and more meticulously than usual, even though he knew very well that the examiners had arrived at the school.

Umbridge also left for a short while, but she came back soon, looking unhappy. When dinner was almost over, the examiners passed by the door of the hall again, and one of them waved to Professor Bubbage to come over, and Umbridge's face became even uglier.

Perhaps Anthony's gaze was too obvious. Professor Flitwick, who was sitting next to him, put a piece of bread on his plate and whispered to him quickly, "The one talking to Caridi is Professor Tofty."

Anthony glanced quickly over there again. Professor Tofty was a short old wizard, with a slightly hunched back and sparse gray hair that looked golden in the flickering light of the torch.

"He was an exceptional duelist, and I studied many of his tactics when I first began to take up wizard dueling," said Professor Flitwick respectfully. "Some of them I still teach my students - the Ear-Cropping Charm is far more useful than people often realise - and that's Professor Griselda Marchbanks, you know, the Head of the Examinations Board and Charity's former boss."

Professor Marchbank asked something, and Professor Bubbaji smiled, leaned forward slightly, and answered her. Professor Marchbank seemed dissatisfied and shook her head, but everyone around them laughed.

Dumbledore also said something lightheartedly, which made the old wizards laugh even more happily. Professor Marchbank nodded, and finally said a few words to Professor Burbage, and then walked out the door with Dumbledore. Professor Tofty walked at the end of all the examiners, talking with Professor McGonagall in high spirits, gesturing at the statue in the corner.

After all the examiners disappeared from the auditorium door, Professor Bubaji returned to the faculty seat.

"The questions this year won't be easy," she whispered as she passed Anthony's seat.

Anthony thought for a moment and asked, "Is it because of the Muggle Protection Act?"

Professor Bubbaji sat back in her seat and did not answer him.

Anthony leaned forward and saw the smile on her lips. He breathed a sigh of relief: after all, if Muggle Studies topics were only made harder because of the Muggle Protection Act, it probably wasn't to study some long-dead Muggles.

He knew that his students were worst at Muggle history, followed by Muggle technology, but if they examined the daily life of contemporary British Muggles, he would even be confident in letting them try NEWTs... Of course, just a try.

……

Because the fifth and seventh years were taking exams, the Great Hall was sealed off by magic and only opened during mealtimes. Students knew that this was a serious matter, and even when they didn't have classes, they would deliberately avoid that area when wandering around. Only the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan said that they secretly hid a few Screaming Pumpkins in the corner of the Great Hall, but all the house-elves told the professor that the three Gryffindors were just scaring people. The Great Hall was so clean that there was not a single pumpkin whisker to be found, and apart from the mandrake, there were no other screaming plants in Hogwarts.

The examiners would always appear at the oak door of Hogwarts just before the exam began, and leave the castle within a few minutes after the exam ended, sometimes taking away a box of parchment with all kinds of answers written on them, and sometimes taking away snacks made with great effort by the house-elves.

Before the Muggle Studies exam, Anthony deliberately returned to the entrance of the auditorium. From a distance, he saw students wandering around the auditorium, or standing by the wall, muttering to themselves in front of notebooks and torches, or gathering with friends and talking in low voices.

"Professor Anthony!" Ian stood up suddenly from the stairs. A pile of empty chocolate frog wrappers fell off his wizard robes.

Anthony walked over quickly: "Good afternoon, Mr. Williams." He was standing at the bottom of the steps, and several packages rolled to his feet. Anthony bent down to pick them up and found that all the pictures inside had been taken away.

Ian hurriedly stuffed the wrapper into his pocket. "Professor, why are you - I mean, are we - uh, anyway, is everything okay?"

Anthony smiled. "That's what I wanted to ask you, too, Mr. Williams. Is everything okay?"

"It can't be any worse - I mean, how bad can it be? It's good, professor." Many people had noticed Anthony by then. Several students who were usually quite active came over and said, "Professor Anthony, what happened?" Other students who were lingering near the stairs also looked at them quietly.

Anthony realized that he might have caused more stress to the fifth years. Professors often seemed to avoid showing up for their OWLs.

"No, everything is fine." He waved his hand reassuringly at the students around him, "Well - I just wanted to go to Hogsmeade and saw you all gathered here."

"Well, Professor," one student said, somewhat disappointedly, "I thought you were going to tell us something."

"Like?" Anthony asked curiously.

Cormag, from Gryffindor, cautiously probed, "Like answers to exams."

Anne, from Ravenclaw, suggested sensibly, "For example, important points of knowledge."

Ian, from Hufflepuff, looked at Anthony expectantly: "For example, the afternoon exam has been cancelled."

"Like, everyone will fail the exam, haha! Crying, throwing things, breaking arms, and staying in the school hospital!"

"Go away, Peeves!"

Peeves laughed, made faces, and disappeared with a loud noise like a fart.

"Well, I'll tell you something," Anthony said, looking at his first batch of students facing their OWLs. "I know - Muggles know - a spell that will help us have good luck before the exams. Everyone, come over here!"

The students slowly gathered around.

"The spell is this: It's incredible, I feel so good today." Anthony nodded. "It's a bit long, I know. You don't have to actually say it out loud, just repeat it in your mind - I feel so good today - and you really believe it will happen, just like before you say other spells - I have a clear mind, a calm state of mind, and I am ready to face any question - then the magic works, and you find that you really feel like this."

The students looked at him.

"Any questions?"

Anne asked disappointedly, "Is there no summary of knowledge points, Professor Anthony?"

"No, because that's what we've been doing for so long," Anthony said. "Everything I think you should master has been repeated over and over again in class. From what I know about you, I think what you need most now is to stay calm and focused. Any other questions?"

"Will you teach advanced classes next year?" a student standing in the outer circle asked, "Sixth grade?"

"If nothing unexpected happens, Professor Bubbage will still be the professor teaching the seventh grade." She can provide a large number of internships related to Muggle Studies for seventh-year students, "but due to her busy work, I will most likely be responsible for Muggle Studies for the sixth grade. What else?"

"What is the minimum score requirement to enter the advanced class?"

"A (Acceptable) is acceptable." Anthony said, "If there is a good reason, we can discuss other standards, but I think this score should not be a limitation for you. Okay, don't let me take up too much of your time, just do what you are doing. Finally, repeat that you all feel great today."

He smiled and waved at the students, asking them to disperse, and walked towards the gate, pretending that he was really going to Hogsmeade.

"Professor Anthony?" a student called him hesitantly at the door.

"what happened?"

“Just want you to know that if—even if—we don’t do well on the test, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad teacher.” The student said very seriously, “You’re no worse than Professor Bubaggi.”

Anthony was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "I know."

"We will try our best to do well in the exam, Professor," another student came over and said.

"I know," Anthony repeated. "I think I did a pretty good job, too, because I'm so proud of you all. It's not about grades - everyone who has come into contact with you in practical activities, the Muggles, thinks you're a smart, nice, wonderful group of students. You passed the Muggle tests long before the wizarding ones."

The two students looked at each other. Suddenly, a voice came from beside them: "So, is there any reward, Professor Anthony?"

Anthony looked over and saw it was Midgen.

Midgen said with a guilty conscience, "I can also guarantee that my Muggle Studies OWL will be above E, Professor."

"What do you want to say, Miss Midgen?" Anthony asked amusedly.

"Practical activity!" Midgen said immediately, "Can we have another practical activity, Professor Anthony?"

"I'll think about it carefully," Anthony said.

Midgen asked expectantly, "So, can I pet your cat after the exam, Professor Anthony?"

"I'd love to say yes, but I'm afraid the cat's answer would be no, a million nos." Anthony smiled, "You can try later, but let's take the test now." He motioned for the students to look behind them. The door to the auditorium slowly opened.

(End of this chapter)