Chapter 76 - OWLs & DoM
***** Regular Chapter ***** A/N: This weekend was a lot busier than i thought it would be. Honestly thought id have more time to write. Had a wedding to attend sat, and a BBQ sunday... and theres so much more running around involved than I thought there would be. But ya, thats why this is a day later than our sunday release, and also why there may be a few more grammatical errors than usual, as im still writing this hungover. Took a sick day from work today just to recover ahaha. Gonna go pass back out now! Anyways Hope you guys enjoy! *****
"Are you sure you don't need to check over all your answers?" Griselda asked Jordan. "You have more than enough time... After all, you have finished the written portion in record time!"
Khan was handing in his last written OWL exam, History of Magic, to Griselda, after having spent the last few hours furiously writing his various other OWLs.
Although He had been given a few hours for each exam if required, Jordan ended up flying through all of them in record time.
Listening to Griselda's question, he thought back to the various questions asked in each of his exams.
'Give the incantation and describe the wand movements required to make objects fly.'
'List the various ways to counter an ingested unknown poison.'
'Give the steps required in the care of Mandrakes.'
He wasn't sure if it was coincidence or not, or whether the general level of knowledge had dropped just like the combat capabilities had, but regardless, he found the written portion rather easy.
They were all involving spells, potions, magical beasts and even unique circumstances for strange quests he had either mastered or encountered during all his various adventures during his previous 5th year.
Even the History of magic exam had questions he could answer from his own personal experience!
He thought back to one particular question, he couldn't help but rage about as he was answering it.
'In your opinion, did wand legislation contribute to, or lead to better control of, the goblin riots of the 18th and 19th century?'
Remembering Ranrok, and his unfortunate experience at the hand of a wizard, being beaten until he was almost dead, simply for returning a wand; Khan thought that the entire reason behind most if not all Goblin Riots was probably this legislation.
He had provided more than the required 1 ft. answer, that the question asked for, as a result of sharing all of his personal experiences that resulted from this stupid legislation.
"Honestly Griselda, I found everything rather simple and straightforward." Khan answered Ms. Marshbanks. "Most, if not all of these questions I was either familiar with from my own , adventures and studies, or in the case of certain History questions, actually lived through them!"
"Hmfp! That's not my fault!" Griselda appeared affronted, as if she was taking the simplicity of the exam as a personal attack. "If it wasn't for coddling parents lowering the requirements for each OWL grade, wanting to pass their stupid idiotic children, then maybe I'd actually be able to create proper exams and questions!"
"You don't know how much we've had to dumb-down our current curriculum and educational system in the past century!"
"You know, I did find it surprising that none of the current Hogwarts students knew how to cast the Protego Charm, come to think of it." Khan responded thoughtfully.
"That's not even the half of it! Spell combinations, Rituals, Elemental Magic, Time Magic, Space Magic - All of it banned or illegal to study, classified as dark magic, unless of course it is your 'family magic.' " Griselda raged to Khan. "All because Pureblooded parents want their children to grow up with confident mindsets! Nevermind their actual personal capabilities!"
"Spell combinations and rituals are banned?" Jordan asked with a confused face.
"Oh yes! Apparently it is considered dark magic by the ministry, as most spell combinations are lethal, and most rituals are sacrificial." Griselda complained to Khan. "And in our current society, killing is looked down upon and considered dark. Even if it is in defense of your house or loved ones."
"It's gotten to the point that nobody even bothers learning the Protego charm, as duels and fights are rarely done anymore."
"I always thought it was strange that the Aurors at the World Cup appeared to be just throwing out simple stunning spells, and not anything more lethal." Khan responded thoughtfully. "Has society deteriorated so much that criminals have more rights than citizens?"
Back during his time, it was understood that if you did evil things, there was an inherent risk to your life that came with it. That if you were trying to kill someone, it was fair game that they responded with equal force, and tried to kill you back.
And although Khan had killed more than his fair share of Poachers, Ashwinders and even goblins during his various adventures during that time, he had never been blamed for his heavy handed actions, by either the ministry nor any of the aurors stationed around Hogwarts Valley.
But now, if Aurors themselves, were throwing out just simple stunning spells, against criminals who were torturing and killing off innocents, and even going so far as to label any kind of killing dark, even in defense of one's home, then there was something inherently wrong with the current system.
"That's the thing! Most citizens these days would blame the Ministry or the Aurors, if they responded with anything more than a stunning spell! They are more concerned over death, rather than the crime or evil that person is doing, because 'all life is precious'. Hmpf!"
Truthfully, Griselda was rather upset with the entire situation she found herself in, over 100 years later. And while she had grown numb to it at this elderly age, this was the main reason she was always so cranky and seen yelling at everyone.
Khan showing up, and pointing out what she had been experiencing and bottling up for the last 100 years was just too much for her. She just had to complain to him! He knew what their society used to look like! How much it has changed! And not for the better!
Unfortunately, in her excitement, she had briefly forgotten about the entire reason Jordan Khan had visited her in the first place.
"But that's besides the point! We aren't here to reminisce and complain about how much society has changed." Griselda barked out. "Come along Jordan! Since you are done with your written exams early, then we shall get started with your practical exams!"
*****
"Thank you Griselda! It was really lovely to catch up!"
Similar to the written exams, Khan found his practical exams also quite easy and straightforward.
Showing off his quick-casting capabilities, he demonstrated his masteries over all his various spells, putting on a veritable show for the watching examiners.
They were all quite impressed with his capability to remove most if not all wand motions for his spells, appearing to simply point with his wand while annunciating the spell, in order for him to cast.
As a result, Khan was done in record time, and was currently excusing himself from Ms. Marshbanks and the rest of the examiners who had watched him for his practicals.
"Are you sure, you wouldn't rather stay here to wait for Little Albus and Alastor?" Griselda asked, with slight concern. She couldn't help but want to look out for this Junior of hers, especially as his previous Headgirl and Ravenclaw Prefect.
"Oh no, I don't want to be a bother." Jordan replied politely. "No need to contact them; I can make my way back to Hogwarts on my own."
"Alright then, if you are sure...." Griselda responded hesitantly, before demanding something of Khan. "Make sure to contact my sister by the way! She will be upset to learn that you have returned and still have yet to contact her!"
"Yes for sure! I still have to learn about the 2nd task for the Triwizard Tournament task after all! AHAHAHA!" Khan agreed, eager to talk to his old schoolmate; hopefully she would let him know what the upcoming details were for the 2nd task.
Making his escape, Khan cast a Disillusionment charm on himself as soon as he was out of sight of the Department for Magical Education, turning himself invisible.
He had another task to do after all, at the ministry; Examining and exploring the Department of Mysteries, specifically where Sebastian used to work.
After learning that Sebastian was working as an unspeakable previously, Jordan had a right mind to search through Sebastian's old work and department to try to learn how he could've sunk further into his dark arts studies.
He still did not believe Natty with her Divination that Sebastian was a dark lord, simply because his topic of study was the dark arts, and he could possibly going insane.
Khan wanted to examine for himself, what Sebastian was up to.
He was sure that there had been a misunderstanding somewhere, and that Sebastian was still a good person!
Getting off the lift at level 9, he had learned from Natty that the elusively named Department of Mysteries, was actually not elusive in reality. It was not hidden at all!
Listening to the cool female voice sounding overhead announce 'Department of Mysteries' as he stepped off, Khan shook his head at the apparent lack of security.
The lift had dropped him off in some plain dark corridor. Illuminated by floating magical torches, Khan was only able to see a single plain black door at the end.
Making his way over towards the door, he pulled it open and stepped through and into a large circular room.
Just like the corridor and door he had just passed through, everything in this room was also black, including the floors and ceiling. Identical, unmarked, handle-less black doors were set at intervals on walls of this circular room. Illuminated with floating candles whose flames burned blue, their cool, shimmering light reflected on the shining black marble floors, giving the entire room an eerie sort of feeling to it.
'I guess I just pick a random door?'
Khan, even with his ancient magical sight, could see no discernable way to differentiate between each door.
Just as he was gazing ahead at the doors opposite him, trying to decide which was the right one, there was suddenly a giant rumbling sound.
His wand at the ready, Khan was prepared for any enemies or security measures, but what he saw instead shocked him.
The candles appeared to be moving sideways; the circular wall was rotating!
After a few seconds of dizzying rotating, the wall appeared to come to a stop, just as suddenly as it started.
'Like that was going to change my strategy...' Khan mumbled to himself.
If that was a security measure, meant to confuse intruders, it served no purpose to Jordan, who did not know where he was going in the first place...
Walking up to a random door, he pushed it open, to a blinding glare of light.
As his eyes were temporarily accustomed to the low light provided by the candles in the dark circular room, Khan was temporarily blinded.
As the spots cleared up, and his eyes become more accustomed to the glare, Jordan spotted clocks of all shapes and sizes inside of the random room he had opened.
Gleaming from every surface, a relentless ticking accompanied the numerous clocks that seemed to litter the room, hanging in spaces between bookcases and desks that also appeared to pill the place.
'I don't think this is it.' Khan knew he had limited time, and thus could not spend time exploring each room as he would've liked today; he had to find Sebastian's old work/lab before Moody or Dumbledore finished with their ministry business.
'I'll return to explore here at a later time....' He promised himself, looking at all the clocks in curiosity. If he didn't know any better, he would've assumed that this room was dedicated to studying 'time magic'.
Closing the door, he watched as the dark circular room spun in dizzying fashion, once again mixing up all the doors.
'How annoying.'
Opening up another random door, Khan found himself in another strange room, this time illuminated with giant lamps hanging low on golden chains dangling from the ceiling.
Except for a few desks and a giant glass tank of deep-green water in the center of the room, it appeared relatively empty. At least, in comparison to the last room.
Looking closer at the tank, Khan had previously noticed that there appeared to be a number of floating objects gliding around in the giant glass tank.
'What the bloody hell is th-'
Moving closer, he stopped himself, as he finally got a much clearer look at the objects.
Brains!
What the hell exactly do these 'unspeakables' study exactly, that they need that many brains?
'I don't think it's this room either.' Jordan immediately excluded this room, as he could see no reason for Sebastian to be studying brains... It definitely wasn't because he was a little grossed out. No sir!
Backing out to the circular room, it once again went through its spinning routine, before stopping.
Khan picked another random door, walking up to it and placing his hands on the handle.
Trying to pull it open and failing, he realized that the door appeared to be locked.
Casting 'Alohamora' appeared to do nothing as well, and Jordan could see no clues or anything of note that he could use to open the locked room, other than the left over glow of the failed alohamora spell viewed with his ancient magical sight, staying on the door itself.
'This has to be it! Didn't Natty say that none of the other unspeakables would take up his work when he departed the Department? Why else would this be locked and closed off?'
Casting a few more overpowered 'Alohamora!'s at the door, in his excitement at his assumption of potentially finding Sebastian's lab, Jordan noticed that even his strongest unlocking charms appeared to do nothing to the door, other than leaving more of a leftover glow from the numerous failed alohamora spells.
'Damn it! I know this is it! Why won't this wo-'
Khan cut himself off, as he noticed with his ancient magical sight, that the leftover glow on the door, now appeared to be gathering together to form a word.
It was a word that was very familiar to him, and further reinforced his belief that this locked room was indeed, his old friend's room.
Just like when Ominis, Sebastian and himself had discovered Slytherin's Scriptorium, this door required a specific spell to be cast in order for it to be opened.
Except instead of 'Crucio!', the word and spell needed for Slytherin's Scriptorium, this word and spell was
"Imperio!"
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