A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts-Chapter 596: Pre-Exam - (1)
Chapter 596: Pre-Exam
Coming out of Classroom 7, Hermione chattered incessantly.
"I never expected that! It's much better than I imagined. I thought it would be all practical, like throwing you into the Forbidden Forest and having a bunch of strange creatures chase you... I mean, it's not bad, but I prefer a quiet and efficient period of contemplation—"
"Who said it wasn't?" Ron interjected.
Both he and Harry were drenched in sweat, their clothes clinging to them, looking like they had just undergone a rigorous Quidditch training session.
Hermione didn't catch the meaning in his words; she continued excitedly sharing her experience, "You can talk directly to the room and have it provide assistance according to your thoughts— that's what I did, you know? I've always had a dream of being able to read a dozen books at once. They are all related, probably different interpretations of the same magic... I can use them to cross-reference each other, and it actually worked!"
"The best part is, every half an hour, a drink appears here— I only found out later— you can choose from tea, hot cocoa, and pumpkin juice, all ghostly foods. But that's not bad at all."
Harry and Ron exchanged glances, realizing they missed out on hot tea, but instead, there were rotating plates behind them, forcing them to practice transfiguration. Harry swore he didn't want to see mushrooms for the next week.
"I heard there's also a classroom mode, simulating a class situation with a group of students studying together," Harry changed the topic.
"Oh, really," Hermione tried to recall, "I think I saw that too. We can give it a try."
The next two weeks passed quickly. As June approached, fifth and seventh-year students devoted all their energy to reviewing. Professors no longer assigned homework but focused on reviewing possible exam questions in class. Students were dizzy and overwhelmed each day, with insufficient time in class; they had to either spend the whole night memorizing materials in the library or practice spellcasting in Classroom 7.
During this time, Hermione fulfilled her promise and demonstrated the most challenging potion-making methods within the exam scope for some students. Students from all four houses gathered to watch, categorized into two groups: members of the front-line lookout station and their friends, and a dozen Slytherin students.
The former provided significant help in simplifying the potion-making process, while the latter— well, they paid a hefty price for precious potion ingredients.
"I didn't see Goyle and Crabbe." After the demonstration, Hermione looked at Draco Malfoy's departing figure and said softly.
"Not just them," Fred joined the conversation, "Now, anyone with Death Eater relatives is trying to distance themselves, but those directly related to Death Eaters are in a tough spot, not well-received."
Harry suddenly realized, recalling the news he read a few weeks ago about Goyle and Crabbe's father being sentenced to life imprisonment by Wizengamot.
"What about Malfoy? Isn't his dad an undercover agent?" Ron asked.
"Him? Neutral," Fred casually remarked, "He did face some initial coldness, but Slytherin has its share of smart people. Soon enough, someone approached him— could be their parents being clever."
"Of course, there are those who resent him, those..." George said.
"Directly related to Death Eaters." Harry affirmed.
"Exactly." George winked at him, "Gains and losses. Fair, isn't it?"
Harry felt relieved; he was worried Slytherins might cause trouble, and he even thought about asking a professor for help— certainly not Snape, but Sirius. However, Sirius was too busy; he complained to Harry privately that Dumbledore seemed to know he wouldn't be teaching next year, so he was assigning tasks left and right.
To motivate the students, Sirius also made a bet with them: if anyone could achieve an 'Outstanding' in the wizarding levels exams, he would gift them his experience in handling Animagi. "Think about it. While Professor McGonagall also understands this area, she won't easily teach it. From what I know, it's a privilege reserved for the top performers in the Transfiguration Club." He said nonchalantly, "Want it? Then bring back an 'Outstanding.'"
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"Professor Black, will you continue to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts next year?" a hopeful student asked.
Sirius shook his head, "Only this year." Seeing the disappointment on the students' faces, he quickly added, "Don't worry, I keep my word. Those knowledge will be in Professor Heap's hands..."
'Professor Heap' only learned about this on the third day, having spent most of this time in the depths of Classroom 7. He even set up a temporary office— the Mind Room and Classroom 7 were a perfect match, coupled with the constant flow of emotions from students due to exams, his research progress was exceptionally fast.
"When did you give me the information about Animagi?" One day at the dining table, Felix blocked Sirius, asking with an unfriendly tone. He belatedly realized that the news about 'Professor Black entrusting knowledge to Professor Heap' had spread throughout the school.
"Did I say something wrong?" Sirius said disdainfully, "The Black family's generations of hidden books are all packed into your stomach. Animagus is just an insignificant one. Oh— no wonder you don't remember."
Felix wisely stayed silent.
...
After lights out, Harry sat on the windowsill of the dormitory, looking at the stars outside, realizing that he had won the Quidditch Cup two days ago. It should have been a moment worth celebrating, but the Gryffindor team members— except for Katie Bell, who didn't need to take exams— appeared hastily at the celebration party and then turned to deal with Fred's 'annoying little fairy.'
As June approached, the shadow of exams loomed larger.
More than one student succumbed to exam anxiety, showing strange symptoms. For example, Hufflepuff's Ernie Macmillan liked to inquire about others' study times. When he found out someone studied less than him, he would sigh in relief, and vice versa, he would become nervous.
Hermione was no exception. She stood out in two aspects. She single-handedly thwarted the flourishing black-market trade among young wizards, confiscating poorly packaged low-quality Baruffio's Brain Elixir, disguised dragon dung as Dragon Claw Powder, and various subpar Joyful Draughts and Dreamless Sleep potions made by students.
Another point was that she developed the habit of looking through people with vacant eyes. This mainly happened on her way to classes with Harry and Ron or during mealtime. Accompanied by muttering and constant tapping of her fingers in the air.
"Are you Luna in disguise?" Harry suspiciously looked at Hermione.
"What? Of course not!" Hermione impatiently said, "I'm just reading in my mind."
In the last class before the exams, Felix explained some important points to the students.
"The Ancient Runes exam is scheduled for Friday, with a written test in the morning and practical in the afternoon," Felix said, "I personally participated in the practical exam question setting, and all questions are within the scope of review, so you can rest assured."
"In addition, I assume you should be aware that cheating in
exams is prohibited."
The students below the podium tensed their faces, and Felix wasn't sure about their true thoughts unless he used Legilimency.
"The examiners are experienced, and they can easily detect any cheating methods. To put it abstractly, take an example— the Chief Examiner Professor Giselda Marchban, she once presided over Dumbledore's N.E.W.Ts exams when she was young. This means, for the exams significant to you, she has invigilated nearly a hundred times."
Harry took a deep breath; he had never thought about this issue from this perspective. He looked around, and others had almost the same expression. Professor Snape used a truly realistic example to tell them how difficult it was to cheat.
"...such as automatic quills for answering questions, memory spheres, dismantlable sleeves with hidden notes, and self-correcting ink. All kinds of potions... are all prohibited. I spent two days at the Wizarding Examinations Authority; believe me, contemplating anti-cheating magic is their everyday routine. In those two days, I saw all sorts of strange and fascinating gadgets that were simply mind-blowing..."
"My personal advice is to ask Madam Pomfrey for some Dreamless Sleep Potion, get enough sleep, and chew on a couple of mint leaves before entering the exam room to freshen up. Yes, mint leaves are allowed."
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