Hogwarts Study Panel

Chapter 2.2: Scholarship System
Night fell, and outside, trucks roared as they rolled over the wet road.

London is becoming financialized, and Canary Wharf is rising, but the street where the orphanage is located is still piled with rubbish bags that haven't been cleaned up.

The room always smelled of disinfectant, but it couldn't mask the musty odor. The caregivers were exhausted, and the children were as wary as wounded animals.

Sheen was curled up in his old, cheap synthetic fiber bedding, fast asleep.

Just now, he tested the unlocked green talent.

To this, he only has one thing to say:
"What kind of miserable life did I live before?"

It turns out that you only need three practice sessions to get one correct practice.
It turns out that wizards can sense the pronunciation of spells.
For example, he always thought "Scourgify" was "Scour-g-ify", but just now, he suddenly had a thought: why can't it be "S-cour-g-ify"?

Thus, in a mysterious state, he gained his first "expert" status.

A full 10 points of proficiency!

He once achieved a five-day progress rate.

He reached it in five seconds!
No wonder he's from the magical world, a place of natural talent; he's certainly experienced it firsthand.

Tomorrow is the day Professor McGonagall will pick him up. Hopefully, he will perform well enough to at least meet the minimum requirements for the scholarship.

What are the scholarship criteria for first-year wizards at Hogwarts?
Sheen doesn't know, but he'll definitely achieve it.

There's no other reason, it's just osmanthus.

As long as he perseveres in learning magic, he will surely stand at the pinnacle of the magical world.

With beautiful dreams for the future, Sheen fell into a deep sleep.

……

1991 9 Month 1 Day.

This is a special day; Sheen is leaving the orphanage.

He quickly packed his clothes; only two undershirts and two pairs of trousers were barely usable. As for the rest, they were either too big or too small.

When he dragged his cheap suitcase to the door, he was surprised to find that he had very little in the orphanage.

"Sheen, you better not come back because you can't afford the tuition! You'll be sorry!"

Anna, the caregiver, twisted her obese body, her tone still sharp and sarcastic.

"Don't bother with that, Aunt Square! I hope you don't get laid off because of the recent layoffs! But with your performance, you're definitely going to lose your job!"

After saying that, Sheen quickly ran to the door, leaving only Anna, the caregiver, with her shrill curses.

Sheen didn't understand the slang and assumed she was being insulted.

Phew—finally I can give that cylinder a good slap in the face. She turned a blind eye to the original owner's serious illness and was one of the culprits behind the original owner's death.

In this world, no one knows the original owner's death; Shin, who traveled from another world, is the only one.
Giving her a good scolding is like collecting interest for the original owner of this body.

Normally, this would be something I wouldn't even dare to think about, but now I'm doing it without hesitation.

Good heavens, Sheen, what's going on? You're really something else!
With a smile, Sheen jogged to the peeling paint door, where the faded "Oak Tree Children's Home" sign hung crookedly, dusting in the wind.

Below the nameplate,

Professor McGonagall wore square glasses, her black hair was curled and tied in a high bun, and she wore a dark green robe that, combined with a Scottish plaid shirt, gave her a serious aura.

But when she saw the thin and frail Sheen running towards her, the corners of her mouth still turned up slightly.

"Professor McGonagall, I apologize for keeping you waiting."

Sheehan jogged up to Professor McGonagall. He was in poor health and would be out of breath after running just a few steps, but he always ran like this to Professor McGonagall.

It was the same during the last shopping trip; when Professor McGonagall asked why, the little guy responded in a barely audible voice:

"Important people are people you have to run to see."

The older catgirl may not say it, but she's incredibly soft-hearted.

“You can slow down, Mr. Green, we have plenty of time.”

Professor McGonagall's voice wasn't as serious as her expression; she gently took Sheehan's hand.

But then he suddenly noticed that the thin little guy was looking at him carefully and attentively.

“S—cour—g—ify.”

As Sheen waved his wand, the dust on Professor McGonagall's hair vanished.

“Dirty things shouldn’t be on…your head.”

Sheehan was still panting; after completing this step, his breathing became even more rapid. His voice was soft, yet determined. Professor McGonagall stared at Sheehan, somewhat lost in thought, a mixture of surprise and relief in her eyes.

"How long did it take you to learn a proper Cleansing Charm, Mr. Green?"

Professor McGonagall gently took his hand and led him forward slowly, asking questions as she went.

"I just learned it yesterday, Professor."

Sheen stopped breathing, his head was lowered, and his tone was cautious and lacking in confidence.

“You’ve done very well, Mr. Green. It seems you really can get that scholarship.”

Professor McGonagall noticed the caution and smiled as she offered these words of encouragement.

Sheehan remained silent, only raising his head to gaze at Professor McGonagall with his bright, sparkling eyes before quickly looking away.

I'm already internally popping champagne.

Given Professor McGonagall's personality, once she uttered those words, half of her scholarship was gone. Although portraying herself as a pitiful orphan was somewhat immoral, Sheehan had no choice but to leave the deadly orphanage for the sake of the scholarship and to survive.

He still needs to recover, and the scholarship is the money he has the best chance of earning.

Sure enough, in the next sentence, Professor McGonagall revealed the news about the scholarship.

"Headmaster Dumbledore has approved that if you achieve excellence in all seven subjects within the first month, you will be awarded a scholarship of six hundred Galleons."

Professor McGonagall calmly delivered the news that stirred Sheen's heart. She looked at the little boy beside her, seemingly waiting for his smile.

Unexpectedly, Sheen simply lowered his head even further.

After a long silence, his voice finally broke through the air:
"...Thank you, Professor. Actually, I know from the book that Hogwarts doesn't offer scholarships to first-year wizards. Thank you for your efforts in allowing me to learn magic."

After saying this, he fell silent.
This is what he means.

Professor McGonagall was stunned for a moment, and then, just like her smile, her heart softened slowly.

“You deserve it, Mr. Green. You don’t need to thank me for this.”

She glanced at Sheehan casually, only to bump into him for the third time as he cautiously stole a glance.

"How long have you been practicing your spells?"

Before arriving at the platform, Professor McGonagall asked her last question.

"Thirteen hours, Professor."

Sheen answered honestly.

"Total?"

The professor's gaze flickered, seemingly heavy.

Every day.

……

The train station was bustling with noise, and Sheen struggled through the crowd, dragging his heavy suitcase.

"The Hogwarts Express is right behind that platform. Don't be afraid, just rush in, Mr. Green."

Professor McGonagall's words echoed in his mind. Looking at the solid wall, even though he knew there wouldn't be any problems, Sheehan was still a little worried. But when he thought that Professor McGonagall might still be watching, he gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and merged into the wall.

However, in the eyes of a certain older catgirl, Sheen did not hesitate at all before crashing into the wall.

“That child trusts you a lot, Minerva.”

An aged voice appeared beside Professor McGonagall.
"Getting straight A's in seven subjects is no easy feat. Do you believe he can do it?"

Out of a certain sense of amusement, a certain White Demon King asked this question with a chuckle.

“Albus, even if only one person in the entire Hogwarts could do it, I believe it would be Sheen.”

Professor McGonagall's gaze remained firm; she was still immersed in the phrase "thirteen hours a day."

Even at her most dedicated and tireless, she couldn't maintain such an intense level of study for two consecutive months.

Not to mention the group of mischievous young wizards at Hogwarts.

"Sheen is a poor child, but also a... well-behaved and sensible child. He deserves that scholarship."

Professor McGonagall was silent for a moment before making this assessment.

(End of this chapter)