MERITS

It was now two months to the exams and the first years were still not in the exam mood, but the senior students had already turned up the studies as they understood the importance the meaning behind better gates and the fresh blood was blissfully unaware. The new students had only heard that they were surely going to move on the next year regardless of their grades and therefore were not so tensed about their exams but what these students did not understand clearly was how these affected the future choices that they will have.

The system of Hogwarts was such that everyone had to go through this experience on their own and could not be informed in advance by people who have previously been through hogwarts or the same class. Harry never understood it completely but the founders had placed some sort of enchantment on the whereabouts of the things related to the castle such that no one could disclose information on their experiences at hogwarts with anyone not already with them or someone who had already passed out.

They could discuss the knowledge on various subjects, sure, but the experiences like, the boat ride through the lake, the sorting ceremony, the grades, the benefits of scoring house points and the likes would have to personally experienced for them to know. The students could learn all this simply by asking the teachers but almost no one did so. Most did not make much of an effort in the first years due to their unawareness and it will only be in their second year, when they get the benefits of their efforts in their first year, that they start trying their best.

The way in which Hogwarts was designed and made was that the house points gained by a student would automatically convert into merit. Every five points earned would be converted to a single merit point and ten merit points could be converted into one request for additional personalised teaching the following year. Every five points lost would similarly lead to decrease in a merit point and if at the end of the year one had merits in the negative, irrespective of their brilliance they were to serve detentions in the next year for the number of weeks their negative merits dictated.

Similarly exams were also designed in a manner that students had no fear to not advance the next class, so that they do not have the pressure to just study and forget everything else but it was also true that every additional effort was rewarded at Hogwarts. Exams were designed to have six grades and these were the representation of benefits that one could ask of the school in the following year. Unlike the merit system, the better grades could get students a better dormitory, choice of attendance, exemption of certain homeworks etc.

Hogwarts was a all inclusive school and so it was not just academics that could get one rewarded, any field that they could show their strength in could lead to benefits. If one was excellent in quidditch and shows exceptional performance in a season he could have a chance to get better gear and training by the school. If one was excellent in herbology and had gone beyond their years in showing interest then they could get recommendations to witness to rare plants and new researches in the field.

All this information was always near the students but they could not see. They just had to ask their head of house and they could get all this but they did not. It was also seen as a test for the new batch as this helped the teachers accurately measure the potential of the new batch. Even when they had no idea about the above, in their first year they would get close to their interests and perform accordingly and when they were back in their second year they would be disclosed this.

Unknowingly many would get benefits and many would get demerits and this was a nice wake up call for the students.

Harry had always been a mediocre student but due to Dumble's interference and his talent for quidditch he never had trouble in getting benefits. Him and Ron would always get just barely passable grade and therefore could not get benefits like a private dormitory but Hermione had from the second year onwards gotten the best treatment in terms of her academics, a private room, teachers available all day long, advanced spells and magic.

This time harry had decided that even if he was to not be too outstanding they would try to have enough merits and grades to have benefits like a private dorm. Harry and Hermione had decided that they would demonstrate their power and knowledge according to the grades they wished to receive. Hermione herself was unaware of this and the next day had proceeded to professor McGonagall for confirmation.

After confirmation they had decided that Hermione would get an outstanding in the theory portion in all subjects but acceptable for the practical portion so that she is seen as a smart witch but not a powerful witch. This would help in getting a target of her back because not many will be happy by having a muggle born witch as the leader. Harry himself would get a acceptable in the theory portion and outstanding in the practical exams so that he gets the benefits but does not come as a genius.

Harry also understood that Dumble's would try to get him to confront Voldi at the end so it was wise to not avoid it and by the time that they exams end he would follow what he had done in the previous life and he and Hermione would rush to professor McGonagall to inform her that they knew what was on the third floor, rise his fake suspicion about Professor Snape, get turned down and then go behind Voldi and let it all play out as Dumble's wishes.

The two months in between their exams were spent doing runes and healing studies and only brushing up their knowledge for the first year exams. The JOKER had become a household name and the sales were off the charts so the twins had become a lot more busy, their time was now fully devoted to completing customised orders and therefore we now had to hire master wizards who were under strict contracts who could now complete this orders. In a short three months the wizarding wheezes now had hundred employees making normal and basic JOKERS and twenty wizards making customised JOKERS.

The profit for the first quarter had come and we had made eighty five thousand in pure profits. The twins had come to us and expressed their thought to stop their education after their OWL's next year and start a store with the income from JOKER and gather every crazy product around the world along with their own crazy ideas and make it the best shop in the world. I obviously supported the idea and now it was time for the world to witness the geniuses behind the JOKER.