Chapter 425 (1/2)
The mood in May became filled with excitement at the Third Task coming up, but that much tenser with final exams steadily approaching. Rowan would only be taking six exams: Gobbledegook, Mermish, Alchemy, Ancient Studies, Ancient Runes, and Advanced Arithmancy. While Severus would be taking the same exams with the exception of his Ancient Runes and Advanced Arithmancy. Instead in their place, he'd be taking Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.
Rowan and Severus would be taking two of their exams a week in advance when in comparison to the rest of the school, Alchemy and Mermish. The reason being there being the only two students in either course, they might as well get two out of the way. As such, their exam was scheduled quite early on as the written exams were to take place on a Tuesday and the practical exam for Alchemy to be taken on Thursday. As such they'd be excused from their Tuesday and Thursday classes that week.
Thankfully Professor Slughorn had finally had a word with the 5th and 7th years over their dragging Rowan and Severus to study as they had not learned their lesson after the still unspoken Slytherin brawl in the common room. Fearing another brawl, Slughorn firmly stated that the Prince twins were apprentices and ought to be studying to for their own exams. And even worse in Rowan's case, she was preparing for the Triwizard Tournament as well. Maybe a thread of guilt finally hit them or the fact that Slughorn actually threatened them with detention. Either way, Severus and Rowan were finally left alone.
The warm month of May just flew away and two weeks before the end of May on a Tuesday, Rowan and Severus found themselves in Professor Boa's classroom taking the practical exam for Alchemy. It was surprisingly a cinch. Not only were most of the questions on the exam were Herbology and components related, but to write down the formula for said alchemy creation.
Rowan especially zoomed through the test and only finished an hour later. Severus on the other hand took a bit longer, but he still finished fairly quickly. Professor Boas was thrilled as he said, ”Vonderful! I look forvard to grading da exams!”
Since they finished their exam rather early, the two of them headed up to Dumbledore's office to wait. The two of them blinked at finding Professor Dumbledore with another figure. Severus blankly stared at the wizard with short dark hair neatly parted to one side almost unnaturally straight. But most especially the narrow toothbrush mustache.
While they were in primary school, Rowan and Severus had in fact studied World War Ⅱ, they felt that such a mustache might not be very appropriate in muggle society. Especially when such a mustache might be very offensive to a certain group of people in the world.
Rowan at least on her part recognized the prim, proper wizard, Bartemius aka Barty Crouch Sr. But what was he doing here? Was he here on some sort of assignment?
Dumbledore beams at them and says, ”Mr. Crouch will kindly be the ministry's delegate to witness the both of taking your mermish exams. Mr. Crouch is fluent in mermish and is delighted to be here.” That was a lie, because Mr. Crouch looked anything but delighted to be here with them.
”Thank you for coming, Mr. Crouch,” Rowan and Severus politely said.
”I couldn't very well miss this opportunity,” Mr. Crouch crisply relied.
”Good, then we'll begin with the translation portion, before moving onto the practical verbal portion of the exam,” Dumbledore said with a pleased expression.
Rowan and Severus put their school bags away in their desks, before Mr. Crouch handed them anti-cheating quills and a roll of parchment. ”I have already written which needs to be translated on the board. Please write an in-depth essay in Mermish in response to the prompt.”
”Yes, sir,” Rowan and Severus replied as Rowan resisted the urge to flip him the board. Mermish was already difficult on her vocal cords, but not as bad as Gobbledegook given that she could make the high-pitched shrieks. But still, it wasn't a language she'd ever have chosen to learn.
Concentrating on the task at hand, the two of them began to translate the Mermish poem, before translating the question about comparing the Mermish style of poetry to that of wizard poets. Rowan and Severus draw a blank as they'd only studied muggle poets never Wizard poets. And what would a wizard poet even right about? Magical creatures and the bleakness of a potion?
Slowly raising her hand, Mr. Crouch frowns at Rowan. ”Yes, Miss Prince?”
”Er, Severus and I never studied wizard poets in primary only muggle poets. Might we instead do a juxtaposition on someone yourself might know, Mr. Crouch? Such as Shakespeare, John Keats, Lord Byron, any one of those or others?” Rowan requested.
”Ah, I'd forgotten to mention that Barty,” Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. ”Is there any muggle poet that you might prefer?”
”I suppose I am partial to the American wizard poet, Edgar Allen Poe,” Mr. Crouch admitted. ”The Raven would do nicely.”