Yes yes we are all aware now what ancient runes and arithmancy entail. You guys can stop reposting everything that has already been said.

 

Perhaps they do use the learning spell in AR but they have to study so many different ancient languages that it still is a full subject? I imagine the point is to be able to read important old books, which would be spread through a variety of languages. How are you going to read the grimiore of X if you don't know language Y?

 

Harry Potter and the Boy Who Lived
Chapter 1: An Alternate Beginning
Chapter 2: Hogwarts Fall
Chapter 3: Choices
Chapter 4: Durmstrang Spring, Part 1
Chapter 5: Durmstrang Spring, Part 2
Chapter 6: Durmstrang Spring, Part 3
Chapter 7: Summer at the Hollow
Chapter 8: Rising Expectations and Raising Questions
Chapter 9: Part 1
Chapter 9: Part 2
Chapter 9: Part 3
Chapter 10: Part 1
Chapter 10: Part 2

Transfiguration Redo

Edit: Thanks to Yak for showing me how to fix the default post per page problem, while keeping a thread based view.

 

Thanks, Egg. It's working perfectly.

 

There is some canonical basis for the "reading of old texts", i.e. Hermione getting the original Elder Furthark version of Beetle the Bard's, if you can call that important. So that could be an interesting "This is what you do in 7th year ancient runes" type deal.

However, I do object to the language charm being used for it at all. As mentioned, it requires total immersion in the language. As we do not believe there to be any spoken "ancient" language, I argue that the charm would not work, and that you have to do it the old fashioned way - which is also more understandable that it takes them 2 years to have basic competency with it, if they only meet 1-2 times a week.

 

Is there a difference between OWL-level and NEWT-level classes in Durmstrang ?

Now that Harry takes Fifth Year Charms and Transfiguration, does it mean he will sit OWL or similar Durmstrang equivalent at the end of his next year ?

Sorry if it was already explained but I have not found any mention of it in this thread.

 

Beauxbatons does not use OWLs (and probably not NEWTs), so it's unlikely that Durmstrang would use them either. OWLs and NEWTs are administered by the Wizarding Examinations Authority.

I don't think that Durmstrang's academic testing system is specifically mentioned in canon.

 

Calypso mentioned using the hogwarts grading system for tests, so there is a chance. However I always got the impression that OWLs and NEWTs were placement tests like the SAT. It would be silly to take those tests before he turned 15 since they determine what career options he has.

 

Damn you foo's, I was dearly hoping for the 'Grindlewald's reaction' update...

Anyone who's not Santi and decides to post again is getting Lamia cursed and dragged to hell.

 

I must've missed that, CleanRag; you're correct about the OWLs.

"While we use the standard owl system for tests and such, the final grades are calculated differently," Calypso explained patiently.

 

I wonder if there will be another confrontation Harry vs. Lily/James when parents (probably after a few days) realize that Harry has achieved Mastery in Third Year Dark Arts which implies that he knows subject matter above this level.

 

>.<

Did you read the story?

He got the mastery for Curse Deflection. Oh Noes. He might deflect a curse into someone!!!

 

Uh, no it doesn't. Back in chapter two, Quirrell said that total immersion with a charm enables one to learn the language (to unspecified fluency) in a week. His wording almost directly implies that the charm speeds up learning languages, period--there is nothing whatsoever about it being an essential requirement, merely a question of time needed.

Could be, but it seems unlikely, because Harry also attained the ability to read and write German in about the same time frame. Even native speakers of a language typically take much longer to obtain reading competency, despite being already familiar with the spoken form, even after the basics like the alphabet are established. Besides, for competent readers, words are recognized holistically rather than sounded out by syllable, so knowing the written form of another language with a similar alphabet isn't much of a leg-up.

 

I stand by the story, and don't believe Ancient Runes could be learned with the charm as written.

 

Conceded. I remembered the exchange in Ch. 2 but not the one in Ch. 7.

 

Looking at HBP, it doesn't seem like the OWLs, and by association the NEWTs, are that much different as a system from the one at Durmstrang.

Harry gets an O in Defense as what is unquestionably the top student, but Hermione only gets an E. Harry is better than Hermione at Defense, but I'm sure if it were a performance-based test rather than competitively scaled, Hermione would have earned the O as well, having gotten O's in everything else as the top student in all areas except Defense. Harry trumps her in that area because of his greater combative prowess and experience, but I'm sure that Hermione, being Hermione, would have known the course material and spells well enough (besides helping Harry lead the DA) to get an O if it was based on percentage.

Perhaps O's are only given to the top student, and the next best possible grade is the E.

I don't know if this helps or not, but I figured any information on the grading systems might help with deciding how Harry will face standardized tests later on.

 

Snape's cutoff for being accepted to N.E.W.T-level Potions was an Outstanding grade. Slughorn accepted students of E or higher.

If there were only one student per year with an Outstanding grade, that would mean that each N.E.W.T Potions class before Slughorn was limited to a single student - possible, but unlikely. It'd be more of a tutoring session than a class at that point.

 

This. As well, the OWL's and NEWT's are administered by a group of Ministry officials, that alone would make determining the 'top' student near impossible.

And iirc Harry got his O through 'bonus points' for the Patronus Charm.

 

Harry got an O because his plot armour molested its way to the top. Using that as a measuring stick just doesn't work, because if Harry wasn't the main character, he would've gotten an E (or Hermione would've gotten an O as well), even with all his past experiences. I imagine a Ministry-dictated exam doesn't deal very much with how you should kill men a generation your elder who has more magical knowledge than basically anyone else.

I'm looking forward to the World Cup, if Harry goes to it. It would be an outrage not to have Harry go, as James and Nathan would probably drag him along anyway, and Victor could probably get them free tickets.

 

God Dammit, I thought there was an update. Afrojack I'm looking at you.