Because he was worried that Conna might agree out loud but still be unhappy inside, Kael had been secretly watching her ever since the last Quidditch final.
But for two whole weeks in a row, Conna behaved completely normally, almost no different from usual, and only then did Kael finally relax and focus on what he needed to do next.
In mid-June, on a very ordinary evening, everyone sat in the Auditorium, eating dinner while chatting about their own holiday plans.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside, and with Dumbledore accompanying them, several elderly Old Wizards walked in, chatting and laughing.
At the front was Professor Geselda Marchbanks, followed by Dumbledore, Professor Tofty…
They were all familiar faces; anyone who had taken the O.W.L. knew who they were, and understood what their arrival at Hogwarts meant.
Final exams.
"Why is it so early this year!" By the Gryffindor table, Ron clutched his hair and said in disbelief, "Isn't the exam supposed to be a week from now? Or did I lose a whole week of my memory?"
Harry was standing beside him with his mouth hanging open.
He hadn't finished revising all his classes yet… well, or rather, he'd only just been about to start revising, so how had it suddenly turned into exam time?
"You haven't lost anything." Fortunately, at this moment Hermione cut in, "They're here for the N.E.W.T. exams."
"N.E.W.T.?" Ron blinked.
"That's right," Hermione said. "Only O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s need people from the Wizard Examination Board in charge; other than those, all the exams for the other years are invigilated by the individual professors."
"So that means we're not at our exam time yet, right." Ron let out a sigh of relief.
Hermione shot him a look. "If you keep wasting time like you have been, it won't matter how far back they push it; you might as well just sit the exam tomorrow."
"Don't be like that, Hermione, I've already started revising." Ron pulled out a book. "Look, I only just borrowed this from the library at lunchtime."
"Yeah, and you haven't even turned a single page yet." Hermione gave a cold little laugh.
Conversations like theirs were happening in other parts of the Auditorium as well.
It was only then that people suddenly realised Hogwarts had already entered exam week.
And the N.E.W.T.s, the strictest and also the most complicated exams in the Wizarding World, would take a whole week longer than the other years' exams.
Kael had already known this since last year; Cedric had even shared some exam tips with him.
To put it simply… don't get nervous, don't mispronounce the Charm, and you'll pass.
It sounded pretty easy, anyway.
…
The next day, the N.E.W.T. exams officially began.
The castle became much quieter than usual. Several key corridors had professors guarding them, and everyone who passed by would instinctively lower their voice under the professors' stern gazes.
The first day was written exams.
Kael had never experienced such strict checks before. Each classroom had only ten seventh-years in it, but there were three professors invigilating.
On top of that, there was also a large Peeping Mirror installed in the exam room.
The Magic Power Peeping Mirror could accurately detect Magic Power reactions nearby, to determine whether anyone had brought Magic Items inside.
A girl had only just stepped into the classroom when the mirror let out a buzzing sound, which didn't stop until Professor Tofty removed a bow-shaped hair clip from her head.
The girl was so frightened she was practically stupefied, standing there at a loss, not knowing what to do.
Only after Professor Tofty finished examining the hair clip.
"Transfigurating Hairpin, only used to change hairstyles, that's fine, not for cheating."
He waved his hand, and only then did the seventh-year girl come back to herself and hurry inside.
Kael followed right behind her into the room.
He noticed that directly opposite the door there was an extra mirror as tall as the wall.
A Revealing Mirror, similar in effect to the True Waterfall at Gringotts. It wasn't as powerful, but it was still a nemesis of Polyjuice Potion: anyone trying to impersonate someone else for the exam would be exposed in their reflection.
On the lectern beside it sat a teapot spewing white smoke.
Kael sniffed; inside, he could catch the scent of Mandrake and Poisonous Tentacle Powder, mixed with some other Herbs.
If he wasn't mistaken, this was probably a calming Magic Potion, though Kael wasn't yet sure exactly what it was for.
At first he thought it was for checking Bafe Awakening Potion and Felix Felici, but he soon realised there was a dedicated professor checking whether students had taken any Magic Potions.
That was Professor Marchbank.
As an old professor who had worked in the Wizard Examination Board for nearly a century, Geselda Marchbanks's knowledge of Magic Potion was also extremely extensive, no less than Snape's or Slughorn's.
With just a glance, she picked out a boy who had drunk a special Magic Potion.
He was a seventh-year Ravenclaw; although what he'd taken wasn't Bafe Awakening Potion, just a Magic Potion that helped keep people calm, this kind of behaviour was still not allowed.
Fortunately, Professor Marchbank did not immediately cancel his exam qualifications; she only made him stand at the classroom door, and he wouldn't be allowed in until the Magic Potion's effects had worn off.
As for how long he would have to wait, and whether there would still be enough exam time left, that would depend on how much he'd drunk.
If he'd taken only a little, he'd still have a chance to answer the questions; but if he'd taken a lot and the Magic Potion hadn't worn off by the end of the exam, then this written paper would simply be void.