In the new academic year, apart from the first-year newcomers, students in practically every other year felt under more pressure from their studies than in the previous term-much more.
Sixth-years probably had it a little better. The year before, they had faced the pressure of exams and had taken plenty of subjects, making it their most exhausting year. Things had improved somewhat now that they were in sixth year.
Sixth-years had no qualifying exams to face. Although the Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test awaited them in seventh year, that was still two years away.
And from sixth year onward, there were no compulsory classes. To attend the subjects that had been compulsory in previous years, students now needed sufficiently good Ordinary Wizarding Levels results.
In sixth and seventh year, students also needed only seven credits to advance and graduate without trouble. For students who just wanted to scrape together a diploma and three to five certificates, this really was a year when they could relax a little-the twin brothers, for instance.
Students in the other years, however, complained endlessly.
Harry and his friends complained year after year, with each year harder than the last. Seeing the twins and the other sixth-years who were ready to coast along, they wished they could skip two years and hurry straight into sixth year themselves.
Most of the professors remained much the same. After all, they went through this every year.
But while most had not changed, a few had.
Remus Lupin, for instance.
Professor Lupin had worked like a dog throughout the previous academic year. Of course, considering he was a werewolf, perhaps he had worked like a wolf, or a wolfdog?
This year, however, his workload had been greatly reduced. He had a colleague now: Alastor Moody.
Although Moody taught only the third-years,