The Hogwarts Express carried Edmund into his fifth year under a sky of pale September grey. The compartment was the same as always, his friends settled into their familiar places, but everything felt different. He was a prefect now. He had taken his O.W.L.s a year early. And he would be spending this year focusing on the N.E.W.T.-level subjects that few students pursued.
"You're really not taking any classes with us?" Arthur asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and disappointment.
"Not this year," Edmund said. "This year, I'm focusing on the niche N.E.W.T. subjects—the ones that don't have enough students for a full class. Alchemy, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, Muggle Studies, History of Magic, Healing Magic, and Wardcraft. I'll be in small groups or individual tutorials."
Cassius shook his head. "So you'll be sitting in rooms with like three other people. While we're stuck in overcrowded O.W.L. prep classes."
"You could have taken some of these subjects," Edmund pointed out. "Alchemy. Ancient Runes. Arithmancy."
"I'd rather eat my wand."
Horace was studying his own schedule. "I'm taking Potions, Herbology, Charms, and Transfiguration for my O.W.L.s this year. That's four. I don't know how you're going to manage nine N.E.W.T. subjects at once."
"I'll have three years to prepare for the N.E.W.T.s in all fifteen subjects," Edmund said. "This year, I'm starting with the niche ones. Next year, when you've finished your O.W.L.s and started your N.E.W.T. studies, I'll join you for the core subjects—Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defence, Herbology, and Astronomy. We'll be in the same classes for those."
Astrid looked up from her rune stones. "So you'll continue the niche subjects through sixth and seventh year as well?"
"Yes. I'm not stopping any of them. I'm just spreading the workload. This year gives me a head start on the subjects that have smaller classes, so that next year I can balance everything alongside you."
Arthur nodded slowly. "So this year, you're doing advanced stuff while we cram for O.W.L.s. Next year, we'll all be in N.E.W.T. core classes together, but you'll also still be doing your niche subjects."
"Exactly. I'll be in more classes than anyone, but I'll manage."
Cassius shook his head. "You're insane."
"Probably."
---
The Sorting Feast was the same as always—the enchanted ceiling, the floating candles, the first years' faces pale with nerves. Edmund sat at the Slytherin table, his prefect badge gleaming on his chest. The younger students looked at him with a mix of respect and curiosity. He was the fourth-year who had taken fifteen O.W.L.s. Word had spread.
After the feast, the prefects gathered in a small antechamber off the Great Hall. Headmaster Black was not present; Professor Marchbanks addressed them instead.
"Prefects are expected to uphold school rules, assist younger students, and serve as role models," she said. "You will patrol the corridors in pairs, one from each house. Rotations have been posted in your common rooms. Do not abuse your authority. Do not deduct points without cause. Do not use your position to settle grudges."
She looked at Edmund. "Mr. Prince, as a fifth-year prefect—and one who has already completed his O.W.L.s—you will be watched closely. I trust you will rise to the occasion."
"Yes, Professor."
---
The next morning, Edmund met with Professor Marchbanks to finalize his N.E.W.T. schedule. She spread a large parchment across her desk, covered in密密麻麻 of timetables.
"Your situation is unusual," she said. "You have completed your O.W.L.s in all fifteen subjects. You wish to take N.E.W.T.s in all fifteen as well, and you have requested to sit them in seventh year rather than sixth. That gives you three years of N.E.W.T. preparation."
"Yes, Professor."
"Most students take two years. You are taking three. That is wise, given the breadth of your ambition." She pointed to the parchment. "This year, I have scheduled you for the N.E.W.T.-level subjects that have low enrollment—subjects where you will be in small classes or individual tutorials. You will continue these subjects through sixth and seventh year. Next year, you will also join the sixth-year classes for the core N.E.W.T. subjects—Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Defence, Herbology, and Astronomy. Those classes will include your friends, who will have completed their O.W.L.s by then."
Edmund nodded. "That's what I hoped for."
She handed him a timetable.
**FIFTH YEAR N.E.W.T. TIMETABLE – EDMUND PRINCE (NICHE SUBJECTS)**
**Monday**
9:00 – 11:00: Alchemy (Prof. V. Marchbanks) – Individual tutorial
11:00 – 12:00: Study Period
1:00 – 3:00: Ancient Runes (Prof. Blackwood) – Small group (3 students)
3:00 – 5:00: Independent Research (Healer Strout)
**Tuesday**
9:00 – 11:00: Arithmancy (Prof. Vane) – Small group (2 students)
11:00 – 12:00: Study Period
1:00 – 3:00: Care of Magical Creatures (Prof. Kettleburn) – Small group (4 students)
3:00 – 5:00: Healing Magic (Healer Strout) – Individual tutorial
**Wednesday**
9:00 – 11:00: Divination (Prof. Trelawney) – Individual tutorial
11:00 – 12:00: Study Period
1:00 – 3:00: Muggle Studies (Prof. Burbage) – Small group (2 students)
3:00 – 5:00: Wardcraft (Prof. Finch) – Individual tutorial
**Thursday**
9:00 – 11:00: History of Magic (Prof. Binns) – Individual tutorial
11:00 – 12:00: Study Period
1:00 – 5:00: Independent Research (Healer Strout)
**Friday**
9:00 – 11:00: Study Period (core subject review)
11:00 – 12:00: Prefect Duties
1:00 – 5:00: Study Period (core subject review)
**Saturday** – Prefect Patrol rotations
**Sunday** – Free
Edmund studied the timetable. Nine N.E.W.T. subjects this year, all in small groups or individual tutorials. He would be spending most of his time with professors, one-on-one or in tiny groups. Meanwhile, his friends would be in crowded O.W.L. preparation classes.
"This will be... different," he said.
Marchbanks smiled. "You are a different student, Mr. Prince. Make good use of the individual attention. Next year, you will have a full schedule with both niche and core subjects. This year is your opportunity to build a strong foundation in the subjects that are rarely taught."
---
The first week was disorienting.
Alchemy with Professor Vesta Marchbanks was held in a small laboratory on the fourth floor. There were no other students. The professor, a sharp-eyed witch with silver hair and a no-nonsense manner, handed him a stack of books.
"N.E.W.T.-level Alchemy is not about turning lead into gold," she said. "That is a children's story. Real alchemy is about understanding the fundamental principles of transformation—of matter, of energy, of self. You will read these books. You will write a weekly essay. And you will perform a transmutation by the end of the term."
"Yes, Professor."
Ancient Runes with Professor Blackwood was a small group—just Edmund, a seventh-year Ravenclaw named Margaret, and a sixth-year Hufflepuff named Oliver. They sat around a table in Blackwood's study, translating fragments of an ancient Norse inscription.
"The runes are not just symbols," Blackwood said. "They are living things. They have been carved into stones for thousands of years, and each carving holds a piece of the carver's magic. To read them, you must not only translate—you must listen."
Edmund listened. The runes seemed to hum beneath his fingers.
Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Kettleburn was a small group of four students, meeting at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Kettleburn's prosthetic hand gleamed in the autumn light.
"This year, we will be working with creatures that are dangerous," he said. "Not just interesting. Dangerous. You will learn to approach them, to calm them, to handle them without being killed. The first lesson: the Griffin."
The Griffin was magnificent—its body that of a lion, its head and wings that of an eagle. It was chained to a stake in the clearing, its golden eyes watching them with intelligence.
"Approach it," Kettleburn said.
The other students hung back. Edmund walked forward slowly, maintaining eye contact. He bowed low. The Griffin stared at him for a long moment, then bowed back.
"You've done this before," Kettleburn said.
"I've practiced."
---
Divination with Professor Trelawney was held in the North Tower, a circular room filled with incense and crystal balls. There were no other students. Trelawney, draped in shawls and glittering with beads, peered at Edmund through thick glasses.
"The Inner Eye," she said, "is a gift. Some have it. Some do not. You, Mr. Prince, have... potential. But you are too logical. You try to see the future with your mind, not your heart."
Edmund said nothing.
"Look into the crystal ball. Tell me what you see."
He looked. The crystal was cloudy, swirling with pale light. He saw nothing.
"I see... mist."
"Look deeper."
He focused, trying to let go of his logical mind. The mist swirled, and for a moment, he thought he saw a shape—a tower, crumbling, a figure standing before it. Then the image was gone.
"I saw a tower," he said.
Trelawney's eyes widened. "The Tower. Death. Transformation. The breaking of old structures." She leaned forward. "You have the Sight, Mr. Prince. It is buried, but it is there. We will work on it."
---
Muggle Studies with Professor Burbage was a small group of two—Edmund and a seventh-year Gryffindor named Sarah. The classroom was filled with Muggle artifacts: telephones, gramophones, a motor car engine.
"Most wizards think Muggles are primitive," Burbage said. "They are not. They have developed technologies that rival our magic, but through different means. This year, we will study those technologies and consider how they might interact with magic."
Edmund found himself fascinated. The telephone, the telegraph, the motor car—these were things he had known in his past life, but seeing them through wizarding eyes was different. He understood both worlds. That was an advantage.
Wardcraft with Professor Finch was an individual tutorial. Finch's study was lined with books on protective magic and the theory of enchantment.
"Wards are the oldest magic," Finch said. "You have studied the theory. Now you will learn to create them. Real wards, not the simple ones you practiced for O.W.L.s. Wards that can protect a building, a family, a secret."
He handed Edmund a diagram. "This is the layout of a seven-layer ward, used by the Founders to protect Hogwarts. Recreate it. You have one week."
History of Magic with Professor Binns was the strangest experience. Binns floated at the front of the empty classroom, his ghostly form barely visible in the morning light.
"The goblin rebellion of 1612," he droned. "Turn to page 394."
Edmund turned to page 394. There were no other students. He was alone with a ghost. He took notes, asked questions, and tried to stay awake.
---
The weeks passed. Edmund fell into a rhythm: individual N.E.W.T. tutorials in the mornings, small-group sessions in the afternoons, independent research in the evenings. He saw his friends at meals and in the common room, but their schedules rarely aligned. They were buried in O.W.L. preparation, their days filled with revision and practice exams.
"You're like a ghost," Cassius said one evening, as Edmund collapsed onto the sofa beside him. "I see you at breakfast, then you disappear."
"I'm in the library. Or the laboratory. Or the North Tower."
"The North Tower? What's up there?"
"Divination. Professor Trelawney."
Cassius shuddered. "I'd rather take extra Potions. At least that's useful for something."
Arthur looked up from his Defence Against the Dark Arts notes. "So next year, when we're all in N.E.W.T. core classes together, you'll still be taking all these niche subjects too?"
"Every single one. I'll be in more classes than anyone. But I'll manage."
Horace shook his head. "Fifteen N.E.W.T. subjects. Three years. And you're starting with the ones no one else wants to take."
"They're not 'no one else wants to take,'" Edmund said. "They're just less popular. But they're important. Alchemy teaches you the fundamentals of transformation. Ancient Runes is the language of old magic. Healing Magic—" He stopped. "You know why that's important."
Astrid, who had been carving a rune stone in silence, looked up. "He's right. The niche subjects are niche because most wizards are lazy. Not because they lack value."
Cassius raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. I'm not arguing. I'm just saying I'd rather face a Bludger than a crystal ball."
Edmund smiled. "Noted."
---
The system tracked his progress, the numbers climbing slowly.
**Progress – End of October**
*N.E.W.T. Preparation (Niche Subjects – Year 5):*
- Alchemy: 35%
- Ancient Runes: 40%
- Arithmancy: 38%
- Care of Magical Creatures: 42%
- Divination: 25%
- Muggle Studies: 45%
- History of Magic: 30%
- Healing Magic: 55%
- Wardcraft: 48%
*Core Subjects (Self-Study for future N.E.W.T. classes):*
- Charms: 50%
- Transfiguration: 45%
- Potions: 52%
- Defence Against the Dark Arts: 40%
- Herbology: 38%
- Astronomy: 35%
He was making progress. He had two more years of N.E.W.T. preparation ahead of him. Next year, he would join his friends in the core N.E.W.T. classes. This year, he was building the foundation for the subjects that would otherwise be impossible to fit into a normal schedule.
The fifth year had begun. He was alone in many of his classes, but he was not lonely. The work was his companion. And next year, he would be back with his friends.
---