Snufflepuff

Although Dumbledore seemed to do nothing, leaving all the school's complicated daily affairs to Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall, he did play a vital role.

He sheltered the school from all the storms raging outside.

After the battle at the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort slipped into the shadows, while his henchmen did the opposite of what they had done before, launching high-profile attacks everywhere.

At the same time, the term "Squib Mercenaries" began appearing frequently in newspapers and magazines.

The world could no longer be described as merely simmering with undercurrents. It was as though all the various factions had heard the starting pistol: one by one, they began making all sorts of moves, testing the limits of the International Confederation of Wizards and the Ministries of Magic in various countries regarding the International Statute of Secrecy.

But all the commotion outside had no effect on the school.

After a long stretch of exam preparation that felt like it had lasted an age and yet vanished in the blink of an eye, the Young Wizards finally faced their exams.

The younger students had their end-of-term exams, while the fifth-years had to take their Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. Those who did well would enter the elite class, where they would begin taking specialized courses, and sit their Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests in seventh year.

Among students of the same year, the vast majority would never get beyond their Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. Whether they passed or not, it was almost certain that they would end up among the lower ranks of the Wizarding World.

Their magical talent had already run dry; no amount of hard work could make them achieve much.

Only a few whose poor grades were due to their attitude toward studying still had a chance to turn things around.