Evidence of Absence

Spellcrafting

“Please pay attention, class.”

More than one pair of eyes snapped to the front of the room, and Tom gave a thin smile. That included students who wouldn’t have paid this much attention just a day ago. It seemed that a lot of them were waiting breathlessly to see what class would be like with a professor who had an acknowledged lover.

Harry was sitting near the back, Esmeralda coiled around the legs of his desk, eyes wary and quiet.

Tom raised his eyebrows a little. He wouldn’t interfere in where Harry wanted to sit—for now. But he wasn’t going to simply accept Harry slumping back into the shadows and making a pretense that he was weak.

“You know that your Defense NEWT is now less than two months away,” Tom began. “I am proud of you all, and do expect you to pass it. But for these last few months, we will concentrate on your individual skills and strengths that might give you an edge over other students and a chance for extra points. I am convinced that you are capable of doing the more basic studying on your own.”

Harry’s eyes narrowed. He was no doubt trying to figure out the angle. Tom gave him a demure smile and turned away to focus on Miss Granger, who had taken a seat near the front of the class.

“What do you think you’re particularly skilled at when it comes to Defense, Miss Granger?”

“Research.”

Someone near the back of the class laughed. Miss Granger blushed, but lifted her head and kept her eyes focused on Tom.

“I wish I had more students who knew their own strengths as well,” Tom murmured. The laughter stopped abruptly. “Well, Miss Granger, how do you think you could show your knowledge of research on the NEWT, besides simply answering questions correctly?”

“I could—go into depth in my answers? Demonstrate that I know the history and theory behind the spells?”

“Very good. Two points to Gryffindor.” Tom lifted his eyes to study the rest of the class. “Keep this in mind. While the examiners will ask you to choose certain answers to questions, they are also always looking for more, for knowledge of theory and clear explanations and relevant information. It is how they separate an Exceeds Expectations from an Outstanding, and on occasion, an Exceeds Expectations from an Acceptable.

“Other people’s forte, of course, will be more the practical part of the examination than the written, and that is as well. It would be boring for everyone, including the NEWT proctors, if all of us were able to do the same things.”

Harry sat up, his eyes widening. Tom smiled at the section of the class that included him, and if Harry wanted to think that smile was particularly targeted at him, then he could. His being right did not mean that Tom was going to admit it.

“For example,” Tom continued, almost idly, “any sign of spellcrafting ability is valued highly on the practical portion of the exam. Even a minor modification to an existing spell can count highly. It is not enough to merely cast an unusual spell, the way it was on the OWL exam when some of you mastered the Patronus Charm.”

“But someone told me the Patronus Charm was NEWT-level magic, Professor,” said Ernie Macmillan, who had gained a spot in Tom’s class more because of his performance on the written portion of the OWL than the practical.

Tom nodded to him. “Technically, it is. But you are students in NEWT-level Defense who have had two years of instruction many people never receive, and it is assumed you would have that charm not only mastered, but thoroughly explored and understood. Now you will be expected to do something else.”

Macmillan looked a little confounded Well, let him. If the boy had been depending on the Patronus to carry him past another lazy practical performance, that was his problem.