The Third Time is a Charm

Posted: 08 December 2009

Chapter 56: Testing

A/N Welcome to the first of three parts, Testing, Testing, and More Testing. These three chapters will focus on what our guys have learned and who is watching them. Then we will have the big celebration party where we will have a surprise guest. I hope you all enjoy.

Now on with the show…………..

Severus Snape had portkeyed directly into the Ministry of Magic, into an empty floo without a single problem. He was slightly curious as to how they did that. They had thought to put him directly in the floo so no one would know he had used an untraceable portkey. These people thought of everything. As he took the lift to the Educational Department, he was reminded of how different this lift was from the one at Prince Manor. That one didn’t go anywhere unless you were a Prince, spoke your name and had the proper hand print. They were much more secure than these public lifts, even with the muggle technology or maybe because of the muggle technology, he wasn't sure.

As he made his way to the Educational Department, he was cognizant of the respect he was afforded from the other wizards. They didn’t know him, but they thought he was a man of wealth just by the clothes he was wearing and acknowledged him with the respect they would give a Malfoy. He was in his signature black, but that was where the previous look ended. His clothes were made of the finest silk. His boots were of Basilisk skin and the buttons on the robes and clasp at the neck were made of gold. There was no thought given to the cost of the outfit and right now he was grateful. The Prince family did everything with a purpose. His purpose today was to make a good impression.

He finally found the door marked Ministry of Magic, Educational Department and Applications for Mastery Examinations. He walked in with an impressive air around him and went to the front desk where a young blonde woman was sitting. He thought she may have been about two years older than him. If he remembered correctly, she was a Ravenclaw and was in her third year when he was in first.

“I would like to apply to take a Mastery Exam for certification. Can you help me?” He asked the woman politely. It wouldn’t do to upset her when he wanted her help.

“Of course, sir.” She turned around in her seat and pulled an application from the shelf behind her. “You need to fill this out, say where you took your studies, and make sure you put the subject you want to test in on this line.” She pointed to a line that clearly said, ‘Subject’. He wondered why she thought there was a need to tell him the line was there. He shook his head and looked at her. She was staring at him as if waiting for something so he pulled the application from her hand with a jerk and briskly sat down to fill it out. The application was three pages long.

“I was in private study; do I put that in place of a school name?” He knew he had been told the test would be harder for private lessons, but he was more than prepared for it.

She looked at him again and said, “No, you need a different application for that.” She then swiveled in her chair again and obtained another application and exchanged it for the one he had. ‘Honestly’, he thought ‘she could have said something in the first place’.

This application was four pages long. Snape shook his head again and sat down at the desk in the room and started to write. He filled out everything but the subject and then copied the application four times. After doing this, he entered the subjects for Potions, Muggle Studies, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Up at the top of the application it said there was a fee of one hundred fifty gallons per subject. He was thankful that he accepted the vault that Severus and Harry had for him. This was going to cost him seven hundred and fifty gallons. He never would have been able to get that kind of money to do these tests all at one time.

He handed the applications back to the woman at the desk.

“You can’t take all of these at the same time!” She shrieked as he handed her all five applications at once. “No one can pass five exams back to back. Only a few people pass two back to back. I can’t refund your money if you fail and you will have to pay again to reapply. I can only accept applications in the month you are going to take the test. So which one do you want to take?”

“I assure you; I want to take all of them and will not hold you responsible for my results.” Severus was not really impressed with her, even if she was a Ravenclaw. She obviously didn’t know about her house founder or she would never have shrieked like that and try to deny him a test. He handed her his Gringotts card so she could deduct the amount from his account.

He watched her discomfort with an amused smirk on his face. He didn’t even need to use Legilimency to know what she was thinking as she charged his card for the application fees.

“Here is a schedule of what is being tested and when. Tomorrow is a Potions test, there is a list of ingredients on the schedule, make sure you bring them with you. All testing begins at nine in the morning and you stay until you are finished.” Snape looked at the list and noted that all of these ingredients were in the lab at the company facilities, so he didn't need to go to an apothecary.

The young woman at the desk sat there looking at the applications. She wanted to tell the man that there was no possibility of him passing five examinations from home study. She had been trying to get a Mastery and had been studying for over a year and couldn't pass the test yet. He was younger than her and just a year out of school, although she could see the dramatic changes in him, he still couldn't possibly have learned all that since leaving Hogwarts. She kept her opinion to herself though, as he didn't look very receptive to her advice.

Severus Snape nodded, retrieved his card from the woman and left the building. He apparated to the front of Malfoy Manor, knowing that he would have to make a presence in front of the Dark Lord soon. When he looked at the examination schedule, he realized it would take a couple of weeks to complete the tests he wanted. They were not scheduled back to back, but the department had its own monthly schedule of testing. It was not too grueling, they only did three subjects per week and had them scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Friday and each subject was only tested once a month. There were only twelve subjects they offered Masters Certification in and he could have taken all twelve of them. It was great to have an edge over most others. He had already been a well read person, but now he knew things he never would have been able to learn anywhere else. For the first time in his life since joining that mad man, he felt he might actually live to be an old man.

The next day…

The young blonde woman sitting at the desk of the Educational Department Mastery Examinations was painting her fingernails. Her head was bowed and her back was turned as she used her wand to paint each nail a different color. Remus Lupin stood before the desk waiting for her to notice him. After a few minutes he cleared his throat in a hope of getting her to acknowledge his presence.

The young woman jumped as she was startled and turned her attention to Remus after waving a wand to dry the polish on her fingers. Remus looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I would like to apply to take several Mastery tests for certification. Do you have the applications here?”

“Oh, yes sir.”

She handed him an application from the shelf behind her and he took it and sat at the desk provided to fill it out. When he looked it over and saw where it asked for the school he had attended he turned back to the woman, now painting the other hand of fingernails. “It asks where I studied, but it was home study. Is there somewhere else I should note that?”

“Oh, no sir. There is a different application for that.” Remus got up from the desk and exchanged the application in his hand for the correct one. He wished she was paying attention to what he needed instead of her fingernails. This was rather annoying. What a waste of talent for a Ravenclaw. But it was hard to find work sometimes. He had been very lucky to get the position he had now. It was almost as if he had stepped into another world, it was so different from his old life.

When he had completed the application, he did the same thing Severus Snape had done. Copied the application four times and wrote in the subjects he wanted to take, Arithmancy, Runes, DADA, Transfiguration and Charms. When he handed the applications back to her, she looked up and said. “You can’t take five subjects back to back; you will never pass them all. It is better to take only one or two and file another application next month. No one passes five Mastery subjects in a month.”

“I would still like you to process them all. Here is my Gringotts card.” He handed her the card and she charged it shaking her head at the foolishness of men. Not even a Ravenclaw could pass five of these tests in one month. They were too grueling.

“You are the second person this week that has wanted to take so many tests. All I can say is good luck, because you are going to need it. The application fee is non refundable. If you fail and want to take the test again you have to pay the fee again.” She said in a monotone sort of voice as if bored with the whole subject.

“I understand and promise I won’t hold you responsible if I fail.” Remus assured the woman.

“That’s what the other man said too.” She replied.

Remus left the office and took the floo back to his apartment. He would have to ask Snape his opinion of the Ministry worker. He hoped they didn't give him too many problems with taking so many tests. He needed to get them out of the way so he could start writing when he finished with the werewolves. Now that a major portion of the cursed creatures were cured in the European part of the eastern hemisphere, he could concentrate on other things. So far they had reached quite a few other countries as well, more than Remus had ever thought possible.

It was three days later that Remus saw Severus Snape. Both of them were at the Ministry for the Ancient Runes test. The Ministry Proctor was already at the desk in the examination room and there were three other people there for the same test. Remus noticed that they were all older than him and Snape. He saw two older Ravenclaws in the room and smiled to himself. He wondered briefly what they would say if he told them he learned Ancient Runes from Rowena Ravenclaw. Just as he sat down, Snape entered the room.

The first thing Snape noticed was the lower level Death Eater informant that was to Proctor the class. He only knew that because he had seen him with a few others that followed Voldemort. He looked around and saw Lupin sitting in a seat across the room. After an insignificant nod to acknowledge the man with the old look of distain on his face, he sat down at another desk on the other side of the room. Voldemort already knew Lupin was working for the same company that had sponsored Snape's Mastery so he had no fear of the information that they were taking a test in the same subject getting back to him. He didn't keep that information from the mad man, knowing he couldn't expect the information to not leak out. Not after the way the young blonde made such a fuss when he applied to take the tests.

Remus looked at Severus Snape when he came in, but noticed the aloof almost scornful way he acknowledged him. They had spent nearly three years in a time displacement area together and all had become quite good friends. After the scare at Hogwarts with Remus as a werewolf, Snape had no problem with a cured one that was helping to cure the others. Of course that didn't mean they didn't have their arguments. It just meant they could get past it. No, Snape’s aloofness must mean there was someone here he didn't want to know about their friendship.

Remus also noticed that both he and Snape were dressed similarly. The only difference was the style of their clothes was slightly different and where Snape was dressed in black, Remus was dressed in a deep burgundy. Both had robes of the finest silk and basilisk skin boots. They both had outer robes also in the basilisk skin. It not only was stylish to wear, it was protective. Most people didn't know that though.

It was finally time to start the test. The Proctor told the class his name was Mister Rowle. Remus didn't remember hearing the name before, but he noticed Severus nod slightly in the Proctor's direction. Everyone in the room was to be given a test booklet, but the one given to Snape and Lupin was a few pages thicker. It didn't matter, they were expecting it.

"There is an anti cheating spell in this room, so I encourage everyone to do their own work. If you are caught cheating you will fail and not get a second chance to take this test. You will have six hours to complete it. We will break for a lunch of one hour only at twelve-thirty and you will turn your test in to me. I will give it back when you have finished lunch. It will be provided in the next room and you may not leave until the test is complete. If you do leave this area, your test will be graded on what is completed. If you fail and want to take the test again, you will be given a different test for the second attempt." The Proctor finished his little speech and everyone opened their booklets and got started.

By the time lunch rolled around, Snape and Remus had completed their test. The others in the room looked at them as if to say they knew the two men had failed. Remus knew what the former Ravenclaw students were thinking, especially if they remembered he was a Gryffindor. He didn't know the third person, or at least he didn't think he did. But he looked a little older than the others so he may have been out of school when Remus first started. Snape had already handed in his test and told the Proctor he had completed it and was leaving.

"You might want to stick around and look it over. That was really too fast to finish I would hate to see you have to take it again." The Proctor said.

"I have checked it and am satisfied with my work. I have to use runes sometimes in making potions and have much practice in them. I was here two days ago for the Potions exam." Severus informed the man. He couldn't for the life of him remember his name, but he knew he had the mark. Poor soul, he thought, the man was delusional to think that the Dark Lord was going to give him any kind of powerful position within his ranks.

He pulled Snape off to the side and said, "Mister Snape, I will see if I can grade it myself and make sure you pass. Don't worry about the test." Snape almost snorted at the older man. He didn't need his help and didn't want to be indebted to another Voldemort sycophant.

"Let the test stand as is. If I didn't pass, I will take it again. It is important to me that I know the subject." Snape assured the man.

"Alright, it’s your time and money." The man said and nodded to Snape in assent to his leaving.

Remus had been watching this interaction and deduced that this man was somehow connected to the Dark Lord and that was why Snape had barely acknowledged him. He would have to be very careful around him. When Snape had left, Remus approached the Proctor to hand him his test.

"Ah, yes, you may join the others in the next room where the house elves have set up lunch." The Proctor said.

"Actually, I have completed my test and would like to take my leave of you. I assume the results will be sent by owl in the next few days?" Remus said as politely as he could.

"Another one who thinks he is finished. Well, yes you may leave, but I would suggest you take more time to go over the test to make sure your answers are correct." The Proctor said with a sneer. He didn't know this young man, but he was not worth Snape's time, as he had demonstrated earlier. He also was not part of the Dark Lord's followers so he was nothing to be impressed with even with the expensive clothes.

"I will let the test stand as is for now. Thank you." Remus answered the man and then headed for the door. He was hoping to catch up to Snape and speak with him for a few minutes.

Snape had immediately taken a portkey to Prince Pharmaceuticals. He wanted to speak with Remus and hoped he would follow him there. You couldn't floo into any of the Prince Conglomerate Companies unless from Prince Stronghold Manor or the one from Gorbink’s office at Gringotts. Everyone had to portkey in every day, and even then the portkeys were personal and only the person they were assigned to could use them. They used the idea of voice recognition software and the portkeys were keyed to the person's voice and magical aura. It was truly ingenious.

Remus didn't catch up to Snape so he sighed and portkeyed to Prince Pharmaceuticals to check up on the stock of werewolves’ cure and to see if any mail had come from Finland or Russia.

When he arrived, he saw Snape outside his office and went over to him. "How are you doing? Did you know the Proctor? He seemed sort of suspicious."

"He is a low level Death Eater, and a ministry informant. I recognized him as one immediately I entered the room. I can't for the life of me remember his name though."

"I think he said his name was Rowle, I really wasn't paying attention. Did he give you a hard time too, about finishing early?"

"He told me he would see about grading my test personally and making sure I would pass. As if I need his help," Snape sneered at the memory. "I truly hope I don't have to see him again, but I have a feeling we will. The... how does Harry put it? What's-His-Name? He is keeping a close watch on me. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy was a substitute and the other one was absent with sickness or something worse. Be very careful around these people my friend."

The two men continued their conversation through lunch and then went their separate ways when leaving the office. Snape went back to Spinner's End and Remus went back to his apartment. Remus worried about the other man sometimes. He was right in the line of fire with Voldemort breathing down his neck.

Severus Snape's next test was Care of Magical Creatures. This too was a written test and no practical. The ministry did not want animals in their building, but the test was very thorough and again Snape had Rowle as the Proctor. He was beginning to think that Rowle was just a warm body to give out exams. He had not been in on his Potion's test, but that was almost all practical. He had to make seven potions, three at a time and then write about the potions, their ingredients and what each ingredient did. Some of the potions had to cure, so they would wait to grade them. He was not expecting any results on that until next week. He finished this test ahead of time and turned it in. When looking at the few people in the room, he wondered if any of them would finish. They looked to be more brawny than brainy.

"Mister Snape, This is the second test I have seen you for. Why Magical Creatures?" Rowle asked. Severus wondered if he was getting information for ‘What's-His-Name’ or if he was just mildly curious.

"If I cannot take care of the creatures I am harvesting potion ingredients from, I have to depend on other people to do it and take risks in the potion not being the best. If I can't tell if the creature is sick, I take a risk in the potion being unsuccessful or worse. I like to be prepared for all things." Snape told him with the blank mask on his face. He really didn't like being questioned like this.

"Fair enough, I will submit your test to the Care of Magical Creatures Department for grading." Severus took his leave before lunch again and went back to Remus' office. For the days he was testing, he had the whole day off, but if he was going to finish early, then he could get some work done or visit with his new friend.

They had the same Proctor the next week for the Arithmancy Exam. Again he treated Snape like a... well a Prince... and Remus like a dog... or maybe a wolf? Just like last time they finished before lunch and left, wondering how much of their activities were being reported to a certain psychopath.

It was finally time for Snape's last test, Muggle Studies. He was actually amazed that the Ministry even had a Mastery in this subject. He walked into the classroom, only to be greeted by Rowle again. He was more than suspicious now that the man was spying on him.

"Mister Snape, imagine seeing you here again. Why Muggle Studies?" The man asked a little too earnestly.

"Muggles have a branch of healing called homeopathic medicine. They use what we would call potions for healing. Some of their ingredients are very valuable to us but they don't know how much. If I want to obtain ingredients for less money then I have to be able to get in and out of the muggle world. Just because they are idiots, doesn't mean I can't profit from them." Snape answered the Death Eater. "It also doesn't hurt for me to know who is in governmental power there either. If you want to do something to them, its better for it to be an important someone, don't you think?"

If the Dark Lord's lackey was reporting, why not report something the Dark ... no, ‘What's-His-Face’, Snape corrected his thoughts. What's-His-Face would like to hear? He sneered at the man, whether he thought it was at him or the subject, he was not going to tell him. Rowle nodded his head as if that was a good idea and let Snape sit down and start the test. This one was not as long as the others and he finished in only two hours.

The next week Remus was completing his last exam. He was fortunate not to run into Rowle again as his tests were not just written but practical as well. They had Masters in the field to test for Charms, Transfiguration and DADA.

Just as Harry and Severus were leaving for Germany, Remus received four job offers from people who found out his test results, one of them from Durmstrang. Snape received five. Potions Masters were not easy to come by. They both wondered how their test results became, what appeared to be, public knowledge and why their offers were from foreign countries.


A/N Thank you to all who have reviewed, story alerted and story favorited. It so exciting to wake up and have emails in my inbox about the story. Stay warm everyone and the next chapter will be up Friday.

Special thanks for my recent reviewers, mithrilandtj, judy, tamikolee (thanks for the idea about the Barrier Reef, Lady Laran, Nefari, kawaiiyashie, and kaasan. The Third Time Charm has over 16,300 hits!! WhooHoo!!!