A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 153 The Exam is Approaching

The Easter holidays are over, but for fifth and seventh graders, it just means the Wizarding Levels exams are getting closer.

Professor McGonagall also took the opportunity to hold a faculty meeting to remind professors of their preparations for the exams.

"We need to pay special attention to the mental state of young wizards. Before each exam, some students suddenly have emotional breakdowns and do all sorts of inexplicable things. In addition, this period is also a peak time for the circulation of various substandard potions, amulets, and cheating devices. As professors, we must be vigilant and take strict precautions..."

Comparing what he saw with what he saw, Felix wasn't sure whether Miss Kremy Vera's sudden breakout of acne was due to seasonal changes or, as Professor McGonagall suggested, a result of her pre-exam mindset.

"...The regular exams are scheduled for June 1st. That's earlier than the Wizarding Level Exams, but that doesn't mean we can let our guard down..."

As they left the faculty and staff lounge, the two new professors huddled together to share their experiences.

"I never knew professors had to prepare so much in advance. I was overwhelmed by all the exams when I was in school," Belby said with a surprised tone.

"I only just found out about this myself, Damocles. How's your Forbidden Forest biographies project going?"

"Everything's going well!" Belby said triumphantly. "I really want to show you the look of surprise on their faces. I think—at least for years to come—my students will remember my classes fondly."

"Perhaps many years later, I will still receive cards from the little wizards."

Felix smiled and congratulated him, and Belby then said mysteriously, "And it's true, Felix, the Hogwarts library is so vast that I had no idea when I was in school."

……

All five grades taught by Felix exhibited varying degrees of pre-exam syndrome, but it was most pronounced in fifth and seventh grade. This was unrelated to academic performance but rather a result of accumulated pressure.

Fifth-grader Warren Pardis submitted a blank test paper, saying his mind went blank and he suspected he had been given a forgetting spell, but Felix, with his professional eye, thought he was perfectly fine.

"Mr. Pardis," Felix said, "the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was imprisoned in Azkaban for abusing memory magic, so you still insist on this claim?"

Pardis quickly made an excuse and left.

Some students claimed they were cursed by dark magic items and their minds had regressed to a year in the past. They asked the professors to take care of their special circumstances, and one of them was put in solitary confinement for three days by Professor McGonagall.

The sixth-grade students, on the other hand, were quite composed. They often watched with smiles as students from other grades strode past them, while they themselves ate their breakfast at a leisurely pace, their posture becoming much more elegant and composed.

In his latest class, Felix criticized this spectator mentality.

"I won't stop you from sharing your experiences from the practical classes; in a way, it's a reward for completing your assignments ahead of schedule. But—"

"Chasing around showing off to seventh graders can easily lead to uncontrollable consequences, and I'm talking about you, Miss Ray."

Amidst the laughter, Emily Ray said sheepishly, "Professor Hyp, I wasn't bragging. She's my cousin, and she kept making fun of me for being sloppy and like a lapdog during the OWLs exams last year."

The laughter grew even louder.

Felix chuckled. "Alright, let's move on to the new lesson. You've already completed the Tombstone Complex and the Black Nest section—"

"Actually, it's a little skeleton and a black crow..." someone in the audience muttered.

"—" Felix continued, "We also discovered a lot of hidden Easter eggs. Now, let's review the various problems you encountered."

……

When the fourth-grade Ancient Runes class ended, the Weasley twins showed him a square piece of wood about the size of their palm.

"Professor, we can only achieve one-on-one calls at the moment, but it has already achieved the expected results."

The twins each held a square piece of wood and demonstrated to him: "We call it the Couple's Mirror, of course, it's just a temporary name, for the sake of initial promotion. We referenced the design of a two-way mirror, and the material is chestnut wood, which you suggested."

The two pointed at it and said, "Like this, if you want to transmit a message, you need to inject a bit of magic, and the other side will become scorching hot, utilizing the principle of heat nut."

"It's coated with a layer of mithril powder, which, when combined with synchronization magic and polymorphism, can be transformed into different characters."

Fred fiddled with it with his wand, while George pretended to be paying attention in class.

"Oh, a new message." He pulled out his matching couple's mirror from his pocket, almost burning himself, but he still pretended to say, "Let me see who's disturbing my studying?"

"It's Fred!" He channeled a wisp of magic into the chestnut wood chip, and black lettering appeared on its silver plating: 'Percy is on a date in the abandoned classroom on the second floor.'

George looked up at Fred in surprise: "Really? How come I didn't know?"

Fred chuckled and said, "I stumbled upon it when I went to the bathroom."

After the demonstration, the two handed the couple's mirror to Felix, anxiously awaiting his evaluation.

Felix examined it carefully for a while. "Very good. I didn't even think of the idea for mithril plating." He looked up. "I need to take it back and study it. I'll give you the answer in a day or two."

"Of course, Professor Hyp."

The twins exchanged a glance, their expressions hesitant, while Felix waited quietly.

"Professor, as you know, we plan to open a joke club in the future..."

Felix nodded.

"I discussed it with George, and you will receive 50% of the profits from the joke shop."

"Fred," Felix interrupted him, "don't worry about my part, I was just offering some advice."

"Professor Heap, George and I are well aware that your help to us has far exceeded the duties of a professor. It's not just about the couple's mirror, but also about our other unrealistic ideas. No one has ever encouraged us, not even our parents... George and I are deeply grateful."

Fred took a deep breath and said very seriously, "This is all we can offer."

George nodded solemnly in agreement.

Felix's gaze shifted between them, and after about a minute, he said noncommittally, "I look forward to your products changing the magical world in the future."

"We definitely will!" the twins said in unison.

……

In the midst of our busy schedules, the first weekend after the Easter holiday arrived.

The Quidditch match has begun.

(End of this chapter)