OWLs, NEWTs and Dragons

OWLs, NEWTs and Dragons

Hermione Granger sat nervously in the darkened parlour of the Leaky Cauldron. Outside it was a glorious summer day, but Hermione had awoken with a horrendous headache and felt grateful for the cool, gloomy atmosphere that Tom the barkeeper apparently preferred in his pub.

"Another, Miss Granger? On the house," Tom said as he walked past her table.

"Oh, thank you, yes," she said, managing a watery smile.

"I know today is a big day. Anything else I can get you? A headache cure, perhaps?"

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked, curious despite herself.

"I run a pub, Miss," Tom chuckled. "You learn to spot headaches among your customers right quickly if barkeeping is your vocation."

Hermione smiled, and nodded gratefully. Tom took out his wand, and waved it over Hermione's head. She felt at once as though something cool and soothing was wrapped around her forehead, and smiled as the ache in her skull faded quickly.

"Now, pumpkin juice, wasn't it? I dare say Professor McGonagall will be here soon enough. And before you ask, I've seen any number of students awaiting their results in this pub. Minerva McGonagall usually has someone she wants to talk to personally.

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked nervously.

"Sometimes," Tom conceded. "Seems to me that I've seen you around with Arthur and Molly Weasley. Well, their eldest, Bill, he got his results here. So did young Percy. I think them twins, Fred and George did too, though in their case it wasn't exactly a very happy Minerva McGonagall who showed up that day."

Hermione smiled as she remembered the twins mentioning their 'handful' of Ordinary Wizarding Levels when she'd arrived at the Burrow two years before. Now their youngest brother, Ron, had sat his OWLs as well, as had Hermione and their friend Harry Potter. The three had taken different approaches to their results. Ron had been as blasé as the twins had been, although Hermione rather thought that in Ron's case it was at least partly an act. Harry had been quiet, as he always was. Hermione had panicked when she got home to her parents' house, and had nearly considered not showing up to collect her results.

Then the letter had arrived from Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor house, asking her to meet in the Leaky Cauldron to deliver her results in person. Hedwig had arrived from the Burrow as Hermione was writing to Ron and Harry. Her friends had sent the owl with a letter of their own saying that they would be getting their results at the Cauldron on the same day, and did Hermione think that this meant they had failed.

Hedwig had suffered over the next few days, winging back and forth from the Burrow to Hermione's house and back again bearing reassurances that this didn't mean anything bad, that they all three couldn't have failed, that Professor McGonagall might want to talk to them about Voldemort.

Nothing had helped, really. At least, Hermione was as nervous sitting here and waiting for the clock to move onwards to eleven o' clock as she had been when she first received the letter. She scowled at it, willing it to move faster. Then she scowled at the large fireplace that sat unlit in the middle of the pub. Ron and Harry were supposed to have arrived ten minutes ago.

How is it going to look to Professor McGonagall if they're late to collect their results?

Just as she thought that, however, the grate in the fireplace was lit by a green glow, and then a six-foot high flame erupted in mid air, sending Ron Weasley staggering out of the fireplace and nearly crashing into a table. He stood up straight, brushing at the soot on his jeans, and caught sight of Hermione. Smiling, he made his way over.

"Hi Hermione," he said. "Sorry we're late. Dad had to use the fire to talk to work."

"'We'?" Hermione asked, looking towards the fireplace. Ron looked over his shoulder, and sighed.

"Harry is useless, I swear. How can it get any simpler than travelling by Floo powder? I know that Mum buys the cheap stuff, but I got here okay, didn't I?"

He turned back to face Hermione. "Still, nice of him to give us a minute alone, isn't it?"

Hermione looked up at her boyfriend, and couldn't help but smile. Standing up, she let him slip his arms around her waist and stepped willingly towards him.

It didn't seem like it had only been three weeks since she last saw him. The kiss, when it came, seemed to be a release of pent-up emotions and longing that had been building for far more than just three weeks. She could feel his strong hands cradling the small of her back as her own hands twisted gently in his hair.

He needs a trim,

she thought irrelevantly.

They kissed for what seemed like a long time. Tom the barkeep came and went with two goblets of pumpkin juice. It was only when a door opened and shut and a throat was cleared loudly that they broke apart, looking slightly flustered.

Professor McGonagall stood before them, one hand on Harry's sooty shoulder. Harry, in truth, was completely covered in soot, and his glasses were cracked. Ron grinned.

"Knockturn Alley again?"

Harry nodded glumly. Professor McGonagall waved her wand and murmured "Scourgify," wiping Harry's robes clean of soot. She tapped his glasses next, fixing the crack.

"Well now," she said. "It is eleven o' clock, it is the twelfth of July, I imagine you would like your results."

Hermione's stomach gave a great lurch as she suddenly remembered that they weren't there just to catch up -or be kissed senseless by my boyfriend- but that Professor McGonagall held their very futures in her hands. Beside her, Ron made a retching noise that earned him a pointed look from their head of house.

"Yes, well, sit down and I shall give you your envelopes. Come along now Potter, and stop looking like a stranded guppy fish."

The three friends sat down at the table. Hermione squeezed Ron's hand in hers, and had hers squeezed in reply. It was nice to have her boyfriend here. As McGonagall fussed with her cloak, she looked at Harry.

"Where's Ginny?"

"Gone to see her mate Luna Lovegood in the next village over," Ron replied, as Harry was looking very nervous. Hermione suspected that any retching noise that Harry made would be very real. "She reckons she doesn't even want to think about exam results until it's her turn to get them."

"Oh," Hermione said, slightly surprised.

"It's okay," Harry croaked. "I didn't want her to come here. If I do that badly, it's best if I don't have her here."

"Oh," Hermione said again, even more surprised. She couldn't imagine how she'd feel if she had to go through this alone. That's the big difference between Harry and me, I suppose. He's still trying to do stuff on his own, even after all this time. Even with Ginny and the two of us around.

"Now then, Miss Granger, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, here are your results."

McGonagall held out three thick envelopes. Hermione took hers with trembling hands. Harry took his and looked at it intently for a minute, before walking over to a table apart from the others. Ron held Hermione's hand, shaking his head as she looked over at Harry.

"Let him do it that way if he wants," he said calmly, his own envelope half-opened in his hand. He let go of her hand and returned to opening his envelope.

Hermione nervously slit her own envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of parchment within. From the corner of her eye she could see Ron sitting frozen with one hand in the envelope, apparently unwilling to take out the results. She looked back at her own set, and began to read the covering letter.

After three seconds, she knew she wouldn't take in anything before she saw her results. Setting aside the letter, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes again, she let them fall on the first line at the top of the page.

Candidate name: Hermione Catherine Granger

Candidate house: Gryffindor

Candidate examinations: Ordinary Wizarding Level

Results

Arithmancy: Outstanding

Ancient Runes: Outstanding

Astronomy: Outstanding

Care of Magical Creatures: Outstanding

Charms: Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

Herbology: Outstanding

History of Magic: Outstanding

Potions: Outstanding

Transfiguration: Outstanding

Hermione collapsed back into her seat with a gasp. She fanned herself with the sheaf of parchment, and glanced at Ron who was staring blankly at his own result sheet.

"Ron?" she asked quietly. Wordlessly, he pushed the sheet of parchment towards her. Willing the results to be good, she looked again at the top line.

Candidate name: Ronald Arthur Weasley

Candidate house: Gryffindor

Candidate examinations: Ordinary Wizarding Level

Results

Astronomy: Exceeds Expectations

Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations

Charms: Acceptable

Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

Divination: Acceptable

Herbology: Exceeds Expectations

History of Magic: Acceptable

Potions: Acceptable

Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations

"Ron!" she beamed. "I was so worried. These are tremendous! And you got an 'Outstanding' in Dark Arts. That's your best ever mark!"

Ron sat shaking in his chair. He managed a weak smile, before taking the parchment back and looking at it again. Hermione grinned at him, and at her own results. Then she caught sight of the back of Harry's head. She touched the back of Ron's hand, and nodded in Harry's direction. He took one look at his friend and nodded. Standing, they walked over to Harry's table and at either side of him.

"Harry?"

Harry set the sheet of paper down on the table in between them and got up, walking to the bar. Hermione and Ron leaned over the table, curious as to Harry's results.

Candidate name: Harry James Potter

Candidate house: Gryffindor

Candidate examinations: Ordinary Wizarding Level

Results

Astronomy: Acceptable

Care of Magical Creatures: Exceeds Expectations

Charms: Outstanding

Defence Against the Dark Arts: Outstanding

Divination: Acceptable

Herbology: Acceptable

History of Magic: Acceptable

Potions: Acceptable

Transfiguration: Exceeds Expectations

"Harry, these are fantastic results," Hermione said. "Two 'Outstandings'!"

Harry sat down, setting three bottles of Butterbeer on the table with a clink.

"Yeah, not bad," he said. "Thought I did better in Astronomy, though."

"Well, come to that, I thought I did better in Divination, the amount of rubbish I fed her" Ron said. "Still, I guess an Acceptable is okay."

The two boys took their bottles and drank deeply while Hermione glared at them.

"Fine, in that case, I shan't need to help you with your work next year, will I?"

Ron set his bottle down quickly, the Butterbeer frothing up and spilling over the top.

"Well," he said, straining for a casual tone of voice. "You always say that teaching us helps you understand better. We'd hate to be responsible for you slipping if you didn't understand your lessons as well as you could do."

"Oh, shut up," Hermione said, but she was too happy to put any feeling behind it.

"I trust you have all performed adequately?" Professor McGonagall asked, joining them after they calmed down a little. "Well, now is the time when you must begin to consider your NEWT level choices. You will need to send in your choices to us by the end of July at the latest. The choices of your NEWTs will of course affect which careers you may choose after Hogwarts. You all received career advice with me shortly before your exams last term, so think back to that, and of course use whatever means you may wish to settle on your choices. Even Divination, Mr Weasley, if you wish."

With that, she stood and walked to the back door of the Cauldron. "Remember, the final date for course choices is the last day in July. It should be easy for you to remember especially, Mr Potter."

With that, she swept out of the pub and into Diagon Alley. The three friends sat there leafing through the other pieces of parchment that had come with their results. Information on the many careers open to them made up the bulk of their letters, although preliminary book lists for each NEWT subject were included as well.

"So, what are you going to do?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Harry shrugged. "Auror? Quidditch player? I don't know if I want to make any plans just yet. How many NEWTs do we have to take, anyway?"

"Anything from two to six," Hermione said. "I know Angelina took six, even if she is only going in to professional Quidditch."

"Only?" Ron laughed. "Anyway, that's what I said I wanted to do as well. If not that, then I'll do something like Charlie, looking after dragons or something. Or maybe Auror training, but you need to do ridiculously well for that."

"What are you taking, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's a shame I can't do everything at NEWT level, of course," she began.

"Of course," Ron murmured into his Butterbeer.

"But I think I'll take Arithmancy, Charms, Defence, Herbology, Potions and Transfiguration."

"No Magical Creatures?" Harry asked. "Hagrid will be upset."

"I know," Hermione looked wretched for a second. "But I just can't imagine ever having a career where I work with creatures," she added, looking apologetically at Ron. He shrugged.

"Well, at least we can drop History of Magic," Ron said. "Stuck with Potions, though."

"What about you, Harry?"

Hermione watched her friend stare at his results for a long moment before he pulled a quill from inside his robe. He scratched the inky nib across the parchment for a few seconds before looking up.

"Right," he said. "Transfiguration, Defence, Potions, Herbology, Creatures and Charms. Even if I don't get to be an Auror, I reckon that stuff will come in handy."

"Ron?"

Ron looked at his parchment for a few seconds before borrowing Harry's quill. He scratched away for a few seconds and then nodded.

"Same as Harry," he said. "Blowed if I'm going to let you two get six NEWTs and boast about it for the rest of our lives."

Hermione grinned, and took his hand. "So, you think we'll be friends for the rest of our lives, do you?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah, well, unless you go and do something stupid like supporting the Wasps when they play the Cannons. That might make me ditch you, I suppose."

"Well, until and unless I take any interest whatsoever in professional Quidditch, I think we're safe. Harry?"

Harry nodded, and flashed his friends a smile that made Hermione's chest feel a little tight. Harry's really grown up. And good looking. Listen to me. It's not like I fancy Harry all of a sudden, but I guess this is what Ginny saw in him. That's really rather weird.

"Hermione?" Ron asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course," Hermione said, grinning at her thoughts. "Just a strange idea I had."

Harry smiled again, and laid his hand on top of Ron and Hermione's.

"Strange ideas and odd choices of Quidditch teams apart - Puddlemere United rule, Ron - I do like the idea of being friends with you two for as long as we live. I hope it's a good long time, too."

Hermione smiled down at the three clasped hands.

"If we can get through six NEWTs each, then I think it will be," she said happily.

The End