Chapter 102: End of Term Exams
Chapter 102: End of Term Exams
A few days before the exams, Landon finally returned to Hogwarts.
When Kyle finished dinner and went back to the common room, he immediately spotted Landon perched on the windowsill.
The owl looked exhausted, its eyes drooping, and its body visibly thinner, its once-beautiful feathers now dull and lackluster.
Upon seeing Kyle, Landon lifted its head and flapped its wings, attempting to fly towards him. However, halfway through its flight, it began to descend rapidly due to exhaustion.
Kyle quickly rushed forward to catch it.
"I believe this is your owl, right?"
Cedric, standing nearby, looked at Landon, who had fallen asleep in Kyle's arms, and asked curiously, "How many letters did you send with it? It looks so weak."
"Just one... But I think it might have misunderstood my instructions."
Kyle carefully placed Landon on the sofa beside him and took an envelope from its claws.
It was a reply, and the handwriting on the envelope belonged to Newt.
Evidently, Landon had not followed Kyle's instructions to deliver the letter to Dorsetshire and return; instead, it had flown directly to find Newt, which explained why it had taken so long to come back.
Kyle couldn't help but shake his head with a mix of laughter and exasperation... What a foolish bird.
The next day was the end-of-term exams, and the young wizards retired early to ensure they were well-rested for the following day.
Kyle gently stroked Landon's feathers on its neck and sat down beside it, opening the envelope.
Inside was a brief reply.
"Kyle,
I was surprised to receive your letter from such a distant place. I've thought about what you said, and the venom of the Winged Serpent does not possess any corrosive properties and only affects the brain, having no effect on plants.
However, I examined the wood block you sent, and it indeed contains traces of the Winged Serpent's venom, which is a significant discovery. As soon as we finish our business here, we will head straight to Hogwarts.
(Your father asked me to pass on a message: Stay away from dangerous situations, and all will be well with Dumbledore.)
-Newt Scamander"
After reading the reply, Kyle sat there with his eyes closed, deep in thought.
The reason Hagrid had gone to the Forbidden Forest that night was not because he had discovered them wandering at night, but because of another person.
After venturing deeper into the forest, he likely found that person and engaged in a fight, which explained the chaotic footprints near the tree.
Unfortunately, the opponent had the Winged Serpent, and due to the venom's effects, Hagrid had forgotten about it.
He forgot about his trip to the Forbidden Forest and all that had transpired during that time. Therefore, on Christmas Day, Hagrid did not deliver the Christmas tree to the Great Hall at the designated time.
In his memory, Halloween had just passed not long ago.
Now, everything made sense.
And that Winged Serpent was most likely the escaped creature the Ministry had been searching for.
The only question remaining was: who had poisoned Hagrid?
Was it one of the wizards hiding their identities in the Hog's Head Inn, or a rat lurking within the castle...
Half an hour later, Kyle, with no leads, decided to give up.
There's nothing difficult in the world that can't be overcome with a little abandonment.
As the letter said, all will be well with Dumbledore, and he would soon be on holiday, so why bother with this?
Kyle stood up, cradled Landon, and returned to the dormitory.
...
The next day, the exams began.
First up was the Theory of Magic Exam, a written test.
To prevent cheating, no one was allowed to bring their own quills and ink; they had to use the school-issued stationery.
But this didn't stop the young wizards from cheating.
Gryffindor's Katie Bell entered the classroom with a tense expression. No sooner had she sat down than Professor McGonagall strode over and ripped off the large red hair accessory from her head, saying coldly:
"Miss Bell, that's not how you use a Transfiguration Spell."
The hair accessory squirmed in Professor McGonagall's hand and soon transformed into a piece of parchment filled with tiny writing.
Kyle, who had witnessed the entire process, clicked his tongue and silently gave her a thumbs up in his mind.
Cheating with Transfiguration right in front of Professor McGonagall... This move was explosive even in the entire wizarding world.
Not to mention, just this courage alone surpassed that of ninety-eight percent of young wizards, truly worthy of Gryffindor.
And those who wrote their cheats on their clothes couldn't escape either... Professor McGonagall only had to circle the classroom once to catch them all.
The error-free version is available at 69 Book Bar! 6 = 9 + 1, and this novel is first published at Book Bar.
As a senior professor and deputy headmistress who had been teaching at Hogwarts for over thirty years, Professor McGonagall didn't need any props; she could tell who was feeling guilty just by their expressions, and she was always spot on.
When everyone started the exam, she was still quietly complaining that Dumbledore shouldn't have assigned her to the first-year exam hall.
There was no challenge here, Professor McGonagall thought she should be invigilating fifth-year students and above; that's where the real cheating techniques were.
Potions, alchemical tools, gesture spells, and more were all there.
Especially potions... Bezoar Potion and Draught of Living Death were just the most basic things. It was said that during last year's NEWTS, there were even students who used Felix Felicis Potion, though she hadn't seen it herself.
Additionally, attempts to enter the exam hall using Polyjuice Potion and Disillusionment Charm were also common.
So, invigilating fifth-year students and above was like fighting a battle without smoke for the professors.
For other professors, this might be a torture, but Professor McGonagall was different; she absolutely loved the feeling of outsmarting her students.
Unfortunately, this year she was assigned to the 'Newbie Village'.
An hour later, Professor McGonagall looked at the group of well-behaved freshmen below and complained again, "Albus, why did you have to assign me to the first years... Even going to the third years would have been fine."
After the written exam, there was also a practical exam. Professor Flitwick asked the students to enter the classroom one by one to see if they could make a pineapple ride a flying broomstick around the hall.
Of course, the so-called 'flying broomstick' was just a wooden stick with feathers attached.
This wasn't a challenge for Kyle at all. He not only completed the task perfectly but also controlled the stick to perform a classic Quidditch move.
Professor Flitwick gave him a perfect score on the spot.
Professor McGonagall, on the other hand, asked them to turn a rabbit into a brooch, and the more exquisite the brooch, the higher the score. If it still retained rabbit features, points would be deducted.
Kyle happened to have a brooch himself, a Christmas gift from Michael, so he transformed it into an identical one.
Professor McGonagall also gave him a perfect score.
The potions exam was on Boil-Cure Potion, one of the simplest potions. Kyle brewed a perfect potion, but he couldn't guarantee he would get a high score.
During the exam, Snape stood almost constantly behind him, shaking his head. Without even thinking, Kyle knew he would find all sorts of reasons to deduct points.
(End of Chapter)
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