Chapter 766

N.E.W.T.

Worried that Kanna might agree outwardly while harboring resentment inside, Kyle had been secretly watching her ever since the last Quidditch final.

But for two straight weeks, Kanna behaved perfectly normally, almost no differently from usual. Only then did Kyle finally relax and focus on what he needed to do next.

In mid-June, on a perfectly ordinary evening, everyone sat in the Great Hall, eating dinner while discussing their holiday plans.

Suddenly, the doors opened from outside. Accompanied by Dumbledore, several elderly wizards walked in, chatting and laughing.

At the front was Professor Griselda Marchbanks, followed by Dumbledore, Professor Tofty...

They were all familiar faces. Anyone who had taken their O.W.L.s knew who they were and understood what their arrival at Hogwarts meant.

Final exams.

"Why is it so early this year?!" Ron said incredulously from beside the Gryffindor table, clutching his hair. "Weren't the exams supposed to be a week from now? Or did I lose a week of memories?"

Harry stood beside him with his mouth hanging open too.

He had not finished revising all his subjects yet... well, more accurately, he had only just been about to start revising. Why were exams suddenly here?

"You haven't lost anything." Fortunately, Hermione spoke up at that moment. "They're here for the N.E.W.T. exams."

"N.E.W.T.s?" Ron blinked.

"That's right," Hermione said. "Only the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s require people from the Wizarding Examinations Authority to oversee them. For all other years, the exams are invigilated by the individual professors."

"So we haven't reached exam time yet, right?" Ron breathed a sigh of relief.

Hermione shot him a glance. "If you keep wasting time like you were before, it won't matter how much later the exams are. You might as well take them tomorrow."

"Don't say that, Hermione. I've already started