Ch 12: New Classes and OWLs
The next morning, after Harry's morning class, Dumbledore asked, "Could you stay for a few more moments, Harry? There is something I wish to discuss with you."
`Of course, sir. What is it?"
"Well, I understand that you have not yet received your OWL results, but I would like to discuss a few possible class selections with you."
"Well, I was planning on taking Charms, Transfiguration, Magical Creatures, and definitely DADA. I'll try and take Potions, if I can, but only because McGonagall said it would be important if I wanted to be an Auror. Astronomy and Herbology are all right, but I'll be happy to drop Divination and History of Magic."
"Ah, those were two of the classes I would like to discuss with you. I believe strongly you should continue with History of Magic…"
"Are you serious? Of course I mean no disrespect, but have you been to one of Professor Binn's lectures? It's just one name after another. Honestly, Professor, Hermione is the only one who can stay awake through an entire lecture."
Smiling, Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I understand what you mean, Harry. But have you ever asked Professor Binn any questions? Have you ever asked him to explain something in greater depth on any particular subject?"
Pausing, Harry wracked his brain and realized he had never asked a question in his class. Not in five years. In fact, the only question he could remember ever being asked was when Hermione had asked him about the Chamber of Secrets. And come to think of it, Professor Binn had known quite a bit about the subject.
"There is much more to learning than simply sitting in class and taking notes, Harry," suggested Dumbledore with a bemused smile. "As for Divination,"
"Please, Professor. I can't take one more death prediction from Professor Trelawney. I don't have that many lives left," joked Harry.
Dumbledore smiled too. "Yes, I understand completely, Harry. However, I was going to suggest you drop Divination and Astronomy and take a different class instead."
"Oh, really? What?"
"Do you know Professor Winklett?"
"I think Hermione had him for Muggle Studies her third year."
"Yes. I would like you to take a special study course with him in Muggle Science."
"What? Why?"
"Remember our little discussion about the different types of magic?"
"Well, yes, but I'm a wizard. I don't really need to understand Muggle science, do I? I mean I can work magic." Harry was a little confused.
"I think that far too often both of our worlds ignore the other's knowledge and skill to the detriment of both. I'm afraid you will have to trust me on this one, Harry. But I strongly believe that this class will prove immensely beneficial to you over the course of the year. Would you be willing to take this special course with Professor Winklett?"
"Yeah, if you think it will help. What about the extra training I've been getting over the summer? How are we going to continue to do that?"
"Well, we'll schedule you for some `special' classes that you will be working on independently, so as to continue your extra training. Trust me, you won't be falling behind the other students, even with a lighter official class load. But be sure to guard your magic use closely while in your classes, especially in DADA, where your extra training will show most easily. I think it best if nobody outside the immediate group that will be training you knows about the extra lessons."
"Well, that sounds good then. So my classes will be Charms, Transfiguration, DADA, Magical Creatures, History of Magic, Muggle Science, and my extra training? Oh, and Potions too-if I can somehow get an Outstanding, that is."
Smiling, Dumbledore reassured Harry, "Do not worry yourself too much about Potions, Harry. The OWL board is well aware of Professor Snape's-uhh, teaching style. In fact, year after year his students have scored the highest marks on average. It seems that many of his students seem to perform much better on their exams, without him there watching, than most of their academic records would seem to indicate." Dumbledore smiled.
With new hope, Harry looked over at Dumbledore. "Really?" he asked and grinned at Dumbledore's nod. Harry remembered that he had felt a lot less worried brewing his potion knowing that Snape wasn't hovering over him hissing insults and belittling his work. "Thanks, Professor. Is there anything else?"
"Not for now. Should we go have some of Mrs. Weasley's excellent lunch?"
"Yeah, that sounds great."
Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione were already there waiting for them. As they all sat down, Mrs. Weasley set down huge platters full of sandwiches and several pitchers of pumpkin juice.
Halfway through their meal, three owls arrived at the window. Hermione exploded from her seat to open the window.
"They're here! They're finally here! Our OWLs have finally arrived!" She looked astonished to see that both Harry and Ron simply kept eating. "Don't you want to know what you got?" she asked both of them.
"I'd rather get my bad news on a full stomach," replied Ron. She looked at Harry.
"I'm with him. I'd like to enjoy my meal before I get any bad news," answered Harry.
"Honestly, you two. Well, then hurry up. I guess I'll wait until you two finish. But hurry." She kept bouncing around the kitchen, obviously too excited to sit still. She kept peeking at the scroll, trying to read it without actually unrolling it.
"Please, Hermione, can't a guy eat in peace?" complained Ron around a mouthful of food. Hermione glowered at him. "Tell you what, Hermione. I'll put you out of your misery." Smiling at Harry, he snatched the scroll from Hermione and placed it on his forehead. "I, Ron Weasley, using the powers of divination within me and honed by three years of practice in class predict that you have achieved Outstandings in every subject."
With a grimace, Hermione snatched the scroll back and glared at Ron. Indignantly, she said, "Ron, I would no further trust your divination skills than I would those of that fraud Trel…" she paused, looking up at Dumbledore and left the sentence unfinished. Dumbledore barely managed to hide his growing smile. Turning on the chuckling boys, she glared at both of them instead.
A few minutes later, Ron and Harry finished their sandwiches and decided to let Hermione check her results. They agreed to open all three at the same time and read them. Ron looked very happy and Harry looked ecstatic. Only Hermione seemed about to explode.
"What? This isn't fair! I'll demand a retest. That's what I'll do. There must be some grounds for an appeal. We should have all requested a retest immediately after it happened. How on earth did they expect us to concentrate when two of our teachers were attacked right in front of our eyes? This is completely unacceptable."
"What's the matter Hermione, didn't get straight Outstandings?" teased Ron.
With a cold glare, Hermione rounded on Ron. "No I did not. I received two Exceeds Expectations. Two!" she screamed.
"Well, that still sounds pretty good," offered Harry. "What else did you get?"
"Oh, the other twenty were Outstandings," she muttered.
"What?" shouted Ron and Harry simultaneously. "You're complaining about only getting twenty Outstandings?"
"No, I'm complaining about the unfairness of the E I received in Astronomy. We were only about halfway through the exam when those…those monsters… attacked Professor McGonagall and Hagrid. They should have readministered the test. I actually didn't expect to get an Outstanding in Muggle Studies, but…"
"Hermione, you took Muggle Studies for one year and you earned an E?" blurted Harry incredulously.
"Yes, well obviously I didn't devote as much study time to it as I did my other subjects. But there really should be some sort of re-examination. I'm sure that when I file my complaint…"
"But Hermione, you got twenty Outstandings! That's got to be some sort of school record," said Ron.
"Indeed it is. The old record was eighteen Outstandings, set by a student several years ago named Minerva McGonagall."
"I beat a school record set by Professor McGonagall?" breathed Hermione.
"You didn't set the school record, Professor Dumbledore?" asked a disbelieving Harry.
Laughing, Dumbledore replied, "I was not always the most focused of students." Ron laughed and Harry continued to look on in disbelief. Hermione seemed a little less angry as well.
Snapping out of her shock, she started, "I'm so sorry. I didn't even ask how the two of you did."
Ron replied, "I got six O's-in Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, and DADA; an E in Transfiguration; and A's in Charms, Potions, Astronomy, and History of Magic."
"That's very good, Ron," complimented Molly. "Of course your older brothers…"
"I know Mum, I know…" grumbled Ron.
"But that's only eight subjects, how did you do in Divination?" asked Hermione.
Glaring first at Hermione, and then looking down at his mother's feet, he mumbled "I got a D in Divination." Before Molly could explode, Harry jumped to Ron's defense.
"So did I."
"You did what Harry?!?!" shouted Hermione.
"Hey, don't you start giving me lectures about Divination." Hermione quickly snapped her mouth shut. He was tempted to remind her that she was the one who had walked out of class, but thought better of it. "Besides, I did a lot better in all of my other classes. I got O's in Charms, Transfiguration, Magical Creatures, DADA of course, and even in Potions; an E in Herbology, and A's in Astronomy and History of Magic."
"Well, that's very good Harry. I'm very proud of you," said Hermione as Harry blushed.
"Yes, you all did very well indeed, especially with so many other distractions at the time. Congratulations," intoned Dumbledore.
"Thank you, sir," they all replied in unison.
"Now I must be getting back to the school, so I will leave you three to plan your classes and continue your studies and practice." Dumbledore turned and left through the fireplace.
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