Hogwarts starts with stealing power.

Ginny went to Ron's room specifically to find him, which touched Ron.

Although Ginny was more interested in Harry's situation.

But this is not surprising.

Many people are interested in Harry, including his parents.

The two talked about Harry for three or four hours.

The two stopped talking when it got dark and they were about to have dinner.

Near the end, Ron casually asked, "Ginny, why are you so interested in Harry?"

A suspicious blush rose on Ginny's face, which was then covered up by her even faster speech.

"I was just asking casually. After all, Harry is quite famous at school, but he doesn't show his face very often."

Ron asked doubtfully, "He doesn't show up much? He ate with me in the Great Hall every day. Maybe your schedule doesn't match ours."

He casually said, "If you want to see him when the new school year starts, write to me. Harry is often with me. Although we often go to the lab, we also go to the Great Hall every day."

Ginny immediately refused, "Since you often appear in the Great Hall, I can just see you there. There's no need to make a special trip to meet you."

In the evening, the Weasley family, except for the eldest and second eldest brothers who couldn't return home often due to work, all gathered together.

The conversation naturally turned back to George and Fred.

Ron noticed that Percy was a little resentful that his twin brothers had stolen the spotlight from him, and he interrupted several times to talk about how well he was doing at school and how many professors had praised him.

But the parents focused more attention on George and Fred.

Ron thought to himself, "Who told Percy not to be an outstanding student?"

Although the position of student council president is highly prestigious, the president mainly handles administrative and management work.

Managing students is fine, but unlike outstanding students, they don't receive direct subsidies from the school and enjoy many other benefits.

But then Ron thought again that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Percy would also become an outstanding student next semester and enjoy the school's resources and benefits.

He became the most useless person in the family.

Ron felt that he had really grown a lot while studying at Hogwarts.

In the past, when faced with this situation, he would be at a loss and even become somewhat negative.

Because he simply couldn't be as outstanding as his older brothers, he would only sulk alone.

Every child in the Weasley family could join the Quidditch Gryffindor school team, but he was the only one who couldn't get a spot.

He seems to have never had any athletic ability.

However, perhaps due to the training he received in Lin Xia's laboratory, he also hosted several paper presentations and interacted with many adult wizards.

Ron gradually realized that these adults were not as terrifying as he had thought, and that they were far less incompetent than he had imagined.

Even Neville, the most cowardly person in Gryffindor, bravely stood on the stage of the press conference as an assistant.

Ron thought to himself that he couldn't compare to his brothers, but compared to Neville, he didn't seem so bad after all.

Neville is no longer considered the worst student in Gryffindor; in fact, he has gained the admiration of a group of younger students.

So at that moment, amidst the lively family atmosphere, Ron took the initiative to tap his bowl and chopsticks with his fork.

The crisp, melodious "jingle" attracted the attention of all family members, even George and Fred.

Ron was unusually nervous under the gaze of so many people.

However, this sense of tension was quickly dispelled.

He remained calm and composed as he said, "I have something to tell you. I have applied to the school to participate in the assessment for outstanding combat-type students."

In a few days... maybe a week, maybe ten days, Harry and I will be picked up and taken to the testing grounds.

At the end of his sentence, he added, "Okay, that's all I wanted to say."

Everyone fell silent.

The parents stared wide-eyed, unable to react for a long time.

Percy was the first to react, and he questioned them like a machine gun: "A combat-type elite student assessment? You're not kidding, are you?"
This assessment is very risky. You are working in Lin Xia's lab, which gives you an advantage. You should apply for the research-type outstanding student assessment first.

"If anything happens to you during the combat assessment, the Ministry of Magic cannot guarantee that they will rescue you."

Percy spoke with a hint of anger on his face, because he thought Ron was joking.

He was awarded the title of outstanding student directly by the school, but he was neither a combat-oriented outstanding student nor a research-oriented outstanding student; he was just a figurehead.

They only got a title, but they wouldn't talk about it. They didn't get anything in return.

As a result, students spread misinformation, believing that by actively seeking out the school's top students, they could also receive the school's maximum resources for development.

But Percy knew.

A title is just a title; if you want resources, you have to fight for them yourself.

He also wanted to be nurtured by the school and had studied these two types of outstanding students, but found it too difficult for him to excel in either one.

Excellent combat-oriented students are required to have exceptional combat intuition, be highly agile, and possess ingenuity.

It's not just about mastering various spells; battles can break out at any moment, testing your ability to react on the fly.

In addition, the Ministry of Magic will prepare some terrifying things for the test participants, such as infected objects, infected people, or other strange phenomena that are difficult to solve.

These are all too dangerous!

Percy once used his student council president privileges to access some documents.

In recent years, over 100 students from Hogwarts have participated in combat-oriented assessments, and more than 30 of them have been involved in accidents.

With a probability of about one-third, he wouldn't dare to gamble.

It's important to know that those who participated in the assessment were among the most outstanding students in their grade at Hogwarts, often referred to as "geniuses" or "little geniuses."

As for outstanding students in research-oriented fields, he can't even dream of it.

Research-type challenges may not seem as dangerous as combat-type challenges, but they demand a great deal of talent.

Whether someone has research talent or not is obvious to anyone with discerning eyes.

It's not as simple as just receiving instruction from a professor and blindly following the instructions to produce a standard potion.

Research is about creating something from nothing!

That's why Lin Xia's invention of the new type of magic wand attracted so much attention.

And she was only in first grade at the time!

Lin Xia's genius is evident to all.

After that, Lin Xia's laboratory launched many research products, proving that the Hogwarts training method was correct.

What Percy couldn't accept was that the twins, whom he had previously seen as mischievous and unruly, were actually geniuses in the field of research.

Meanwhile, Ron, the unassuming and unremarkable younger brother, also applied to the school to initiate an evaluation for outstanding students. They were both doing things that they themselves could never accomplish.

Percy felt his authority was being challenged!

Now, he's the least outstanding member of the family.

Arthur and Molly both attended Hogwarts and know how high the school's standards are for outstanding students.

At least they were just following the rules in school and wouldn't create these extra challenges for themselves.

At this moment, Percy spoke with such certainty about how difficult the assessment would be and how dangerous it would be, and even the Aurors sent by the Ministry of Magic couldn't guarantee that every candidate would return unharmed.

Arthur and Molly were extremely worried about Ron.

Molly said in her loud and clear voice, "Ron, my child, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. We don't need to go to the assessment for outstanding students."

No matter what, you will always be our pride. We are truly happy that you were able to complete your studies at Hogwarts and graduate smoothly.

Arthur said somewhat flusteredly, "Can this application be withdrawn? Or should I ask my colleagues? Ron, we don't need you to take any risks, we just want you to be safe and sound."

A warm feeling washed over Ron.

He used to think that his parents didn't care about him at all, but now he realizes that he was the one who had some prejudice against his parents and thought that they didn't love him.

They have too many children, and the parents cannot give their love equally to all of them.

However, when their children encounter danger or difficulties, parents will still do their best to help them solve the problem.

Compared to Percy's concern for his parents, George and Fred exchanged glances and instead affirmed Ron's decision.

George asked, "Ron, are you taking the test with Harry this time?"

Fred: "What did Professor McGonagall say? Did she approve of your participation in the assessment?"

Ron nodded. "I went to Professor McGonagall before the holidays and told her my thoughts. The professor earnestly told me that the assessment was risky and could even be life-threatening."

But when I was firm in my stance, the professor didn't tell me to give up on the application; instead, he helped me apply to Harry's institution.

He thought for a moment and then added, "Actually, I even consulted Lin Xia about participating in the assessment for outstanding combat-type students."

George and Fred asked with great interest, "What did Lin Xia say?"

Ron said with utmost sincerity, "I asked Lin Xia in private, and Lin Xia also specifically mentioned some things to me."

She said that if I applied with Harry, it would actually be a big advantage. The school would definitely protect Harry's safety and wouldn't let him take any risks, since he is important to everyone.

If I take the test with Harry, I can actually benefit from his connections; maybe the test will even be easier because of him.

"By the way, Lin Xia also told me that even if the difficulty of the assessment remains the same, the Ministry of Magic will definitely send people to monitor the assessment in real time if Harry is involved."

My safety will also be guaranteed, giving me an advantage over students who participate without proper preparation.

Ron was not stingy in expressing his gratitude to his family for their concern.

"Dad, Mom, brother, the reason I thought about participating in the assessment for outstanding combat types was actually Lin Xia's suggestion."

She said that Harry and I are already capable enough to handle the school's assessment for outstanding students, so why not take up some of the school's resources for further development?

After listening to his explanation, even with Lin Xia's approval, Percy still couldn't believe that this unremarkable underling could participate in such an important assessment.

He said somewhat indignantly, "It's fine if you fail the assessment, but if you pass, you might be assigned by the school to do some very dangerous tasks."

If you passed the test because of Harry, then you will be in great danger once you are separated from him on missions.

Ron, don't put yourself in a dangerous situation for the sake of short-term gains.

Ron frowned slightly and gave Percy a deep look.

"I'm glad you care about me, but brother, why do I feel like you've never really believed in me?"

Percy immediately said, "No, Ron, I didn't mean that. I was just worried about your safety."

Ron shrugged. "Okay, I'll just take it as you being overly concerned about me."

The problem now is that the application has already been submitted, and the Ministry of Magic is looking for a testing venue for Harry and me.

At this point, proposing to cancel the assessment is unlikely to be accepted by the Ministry of Magic, and it will be difficult to get past Professor McGonagall.

Or you can wait for the assessor to come and pick me up, and then talk to him about giving up the assessment.

If you're willing to swallow your pride and do it, then it doesn't matter if I don't participate.

I believe my parents should be happy for me as I become more and more successful, instead of hindering my progress in every way.

George and Fred stood up with smiles, patted Ron on the shoulder, and said in unison:
"You're overthinking it, Ron. Why would we stop you from striving for success?"

"Percy is clearly jealous of you. He assumes you can't do what he can't do."

"Come, come, we still have many details we want to ask you. Are you full? Let's go into the room and talk."

Percy watched them walk away, feeling somewhat stifled.

That night, Percy tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

He really thought Ron was incredibly lucky, how could he be so lucky!

Why didn't he think of taking advantage of Harry's fame and participating in the assessment for outstanding combat-type students?
For a student like Ron who is always in the spotlight, the Ministry of Magic might lower the difficulty level for him, and it's highly unlikely that he would die during the assessment.

Even without reducing the difficulty, life safety can be guaranteed.

Thinking about it this way, Percy felt even more regretful.

He sat up and made a decision.

Tonight, he wrote a letter, summoned an owl, and ordered it to be delivered urgently to Professor McGonagall at Horowitz.

It wasn't for reporting or anything like that; he didn't have such malicious intentions as reporting his own brother.

Instead, she wanted to apply to Professor McGonagall to be included in the assessment for outstanding combat-type students.

Percy thought that if everything went smoothly, he might even be able to catch up with Harry in the same class, after all, the assessment of outstanding students also required manpower, material resources and effort.

There's no need for the school to make another special trip just because of him.

The owl postmen were very fast. By the afternoon of the second day, while Ron was studying materials related to ancient runes in the living room, Percy had already received Professor McGonagall's reply.

Thank you for your letter, Percy.

I regret to inform you that the assessment for outstanding students this semester has already ended before the holidays. If you wish to apply for the assessment, please do so at the beginning of the next academic year. The school will prepare a separate assessment for you.

Professor McGonagall

Percy locked himself in his room and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

The Weasley twins were also in the living room, but instead of reading the documents, they were touching the crystal ball, intending to divine whether they could find another precious ingredient for the Ghostly Candy recipe.

Upon hearing the loud noise, the twins exchanged a glance and shrugged.

"Percy is angry again."

"I bet Ron brought this gas." (End of Chapter)