Chapter 35

"Next up is the test for the bookkeepers. The test assesses knowledge of processing financial information, math, double entry accounting, the ability to produce accurate monthly financials, and the ability to interpret financial information." Draco announced for everyone to hear.

Then he waved his wand, and a stack of papers and a heap of fountain pens appeared.

With another wave, every applicant got one of the papers and one of the fountain pens floating in front of them. "You have fifteen minutes. Go!"

The first challenge wasn't even on the paper.

It was a test for the applicants' problem-solving skills, which Draco had stolen from the muggle movie Men in Black.

Draco had to admit that he had watched a lot of movies while he had been laying low in the muggle world, especially before he had met his second wife.

He just hadn't known what else to do with himself, and the binge-watching had helped him drown his grief.

He would've preferred to drown his grief in alcohol, but he couldn't risk losing control in the muggle world and outing himself as a wizard.

The first hurdle for the applicants was to find a place where they could write on the paper properly.

Draco was curious to see how they would handle it.

Of course, everyone with a wand had an advantage there, because with one wave they could make a table or something similar appear, but they had to be capable of conjuration first, and that was a pretty advanced skill only wizards in the N.E.W.T.-class of Transfiguration learned.

But first, they had to come up with the idea.

"Is there a place where we can fill out the paper?"

Some applicants asked Draco directly.

Draco just smiled at them and stayed silent.

The applicants got the hint and tried other avenues.

In the end, most of the applicants actually sat on the floor to fill out the test paper.

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For that, Draco gave neither plus points nor minus points.

But he thought it was an uninspired solution.

The two goblins disdained crawling on the floor in front of these wizards, so they thought of something else.

Since only one of them wanted the bookkeeper position anyway and the other one wanted to join the enchanting team, the enchanter let his fellow use his back to fill out the paper, neglecting his own test.

Only one of the applicants actually dared to use the interviewer table, and that was the confident veela.

Draco appreciated Petia bending over the table, it provided a spectacular view of her cleavage.

Even after Petia started to use the interviewer table and didn't get told off, no one else did the same.

In the 90's, people still knew how to be respectful, especially the wizarding community that was still a century behind the times.

Penelope laid her paper on the floor too, but instead of crouching down to fill it out by hand, she charmed her fountain pen to write on its own.

This maneuver was quickly copied by those who were able.

They only had to bow down repeatedly to check the papers.

In the end, no one actually conjured or transfigured a table or stand for themselves.

They didn't even get the idea to conjure or transfigure a clipboard.

Now that he thought about it, did clipboards even exist in the wizarding world...?

No matter...

During the whole test, Draco kept one eye on the applicants so they wouldn't cheat and the other eye he kept on Petia's beautiful valley and her two magnificent mounts.

When she softly rocked back and forth while she was thinking, sometimes Draco could catch a glimpse of her tantalizing mountain peaks.

When it was over, Draco collected the test papers with a wave of his wand and gave them and the sample solution to Ted for evaluation.

While Ted was busy, Draco started the next test.

"Next, we will test the enchanters among you. The others can step outside and take a little break. But don't leave the front yard; you will be called back inside as soon as the subsequent test starts. For the enchanters, those of you specializing in rune carving, please gather on the right side of the room; those specializing in enchanting with a wand, gather on the left; and those capable of both, please gather in the middle." Draco announced and gave a signal to Kreacher.

Dutiful, Kreacher disappeared to get the enchanting material from the second floor.

A small chaos ensued as the applicants moved through the full-packed room.

The vampire Steve ran into one of the two goblins on his way out.

Steve was a little surprised to see the goblin not participating in the enchanting test.

"Don't you know enchanting?" Because of his surprise, Steve's question lacked some politeness.

"Not every goblin is a rune crafter." The goblin gave the rude young vampire the stink eye and deliberately bumped into Steve's leg, making him stumble.

"Hey?! I'm sorry, I was just wondering. The only book my sire has about goblins that's not about any rebellion says that all goblins learn rune crafting growing up." Steve called after the goblin, trying to explain himself.

The goblin actually stopped in the door to turn around to give the vampire another measure.

The goblin couldn't decide fast enough between an acknowledging nod and a contemptuously uttered 'Rebellion?!'.

A hyperactive werewolf ran straight into him, knocking the goblin out the door with an unintended kick.

"Are you okay?" Steve called worriedly and hurried to leave the tower too to catch up to the kicked goblin.